CASE STUDY: 11 TRANSFORMATIVE COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS

CASE STUDY: 11 TRANSFORMATIVE COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS

When 10 councils give real influence to their communities, we see real change, real impact and trusted decisions that increase faith in democratic processes.

This case study explores 11 deliberative engagement journeys and the profound impact they have had on councils, communities decision makers and participants.

DOMINANT VOICES IN DELIBERATION

DOMINANT VOICES IN DELIBERATION

Effective engagement is inclusive of a diverse range of perspectives. In deliberative processes, this is critical, as deliberation is underpinned by representativeness. When one or a few voices dominate the conversation, this becomes difficult to achieve. In this article we consider some ways to navigate this common issue.

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT SERIES: THE EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT SERIES: THE EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY

Engaging school children in deliberative processes is beneficial for all parties. Unfortunately it rarely happens, with at least part of the reason being the difficulty in recruiting young people to participate. This article discusses why we should be encouraging school children to participate in deliberations, and how we can do this.

SPOTLIGHT ON COUNCILS EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES

SPOTLIGHT ON COUNCILS EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES

MosaicLab has had the privilege of working with many Victorian councils over recent months and supporting them to design and deliver deliberative engagement processes. An interesting and exciting element of this experience has been the high level of influence some councils offered to their community around the development of their community visions.

In this article we look at three different approaches. One council that set the level of influence at ‘empower’ from the outset, and two others that accepted their community’s vision statement in full.

THE ROLE OF CONNECTION IN DELIBERATION

THE ROLE OF CONNECTION IN DELIBERATION

We have been in conversation recently with a community member who provided feedback on the experience of being part of a public deliberation. This panel member felt that there was a need for a much greater connection to be made between panel members. This article outlines some activities and suggestions for increasing the connection for a better outcome and improved experience for panel members.

ONLINE MEETINGS - FROM TEDIOUS…TO FABULOUS

ONLINE MEETINGS - FROM TEDIOUS…TO FABULOUS

Thanks to the pandemic, MosaicLab facilitators have had over 12 months of running online meetings and workshops, clocking over 300 online sessions! As a result, we now know what works well in this medium and what it takes for people to have meaningful conversations and contributions online. We shares our knowledge of the online meeting world with you through our Virtual Facilitation training course.

Find out more here.

#MONTHLYMYTH: BELIEFS ARE UNCHANGEABLE

#MONTHLYMYTH: BELIEFS ARE UNCHANGEABLE

Our beliefs are shaped by our reality and impact how we show up in the world. In this #MonthlyMyth, we explore how we develop our beliefs, and have the ability to change them. It also discusses why being aware of your personal beliefs is important in community engagement work.

MAKING A DECLARATION IS THE EASY PART

MAKING A DECLARATION IS THE EASY PART

Globally, 1,807 local government bodies, such as municipal councils, have declared a climate emergency within the past 5 years. But making a declaration is the easy part. Partnering with the community to come up with responses to such a momentous and complicated challenge is not something that every council is willing to take on. But those who do will be rewarded with ideas and momentum from the community that council cannot possibly achieve on its own.

In this article we share with you a story of a local council in Victoria who has partnered with their community to respond to the climate emergency together.

CLIMATE CHANGE ASSEMBLIES AROUND THE WORLD

CLIMATE CHANGE ASSEMBLIES AROUND THE WORLD

Queenscliffe is one of the smallest local government areas in Australia, but in convening a public deliberation on climate change it has joined some major world players.

In this article, we look at what some other countries are doing to tackle climate change through citizens’ assemblies.

COUNCIL LEADERS MOTIVATED BY NEW STATE GOVERNMENT CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING FOR COUNCILS

COUNCIL LEADERS MOTIVATED BY NEW STATE GOVERNMENT CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING FOR COUNCILS

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has recently packaged key climate science and legislative knowledge into a 3-hour course for council executives.

In this article, we share some of the reflections from attendees.