{"id":22920,"date":"2023-09-25T15:08:54","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T13:08:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euroalter.local\/?post_type=project&p=22920"},"modified":"2026-02-03T18:31:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T17:31:01","slug":"democratic-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/euroalter.com\/it\/projects\/democratic-odyssey\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Odyssey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

JOIN THE JOURNEY<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Democratic Odyssey was conceived and launched as a long-term journey through the rugged landscape of democratic contemporary pathologies. As a decentralised, collaborative and transparent exercise of crowdsourcing and co-creation, it seeks to bring together as many contributors as possible in different capacities and with different roles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concept and Methodology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The methodology behind the Democratic Odyssey builds on three key concepts \u2013 Citizen Assemblies, Sortition, Institutionalisation \u2013 and three key instruments \u2013 the Modular Framework, the Constituent Network, and the Flotilla. Each answers to a key question, which together guide the project\u2019s implementation towards achieving its objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citizen Assemblies<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Democratic Odyssey centers on Citizen Assemblies, which are designed to include citizens in EU decision-making. These assemblies are transnational, interconnected, transparent, and empowering. They involve over 170 citizens from at least 15 EU Member States, engaging in multiple sessions to deliberate on key issues. The assemblies are intended to foster a sense of belonging to the EU and influence the EU through inclusive citizen participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sortition<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

To ensure diversity, participants in the Citizen Assemblies are selected through sortition, a democratic lottery process. This method guarantees equal representation across various socio-economic backgrounds, such as age, gender, location, and ethnicity. Sortition ensures that all citizens have a fair chance of being included, thus bringing traditionally underrepresented voices into the decision-making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Institutionalisation<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The project aims to institutionalize the Citizen Assembly concept as a lasting part of European democracy. The goal is to create a self-sustaining process of citizen participation that evolves over time. This institutionalization will embed the assemblies within the broader ecosystem of EU democracy, complementing existing participatory tools like the European Citizens\u2019 Initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key instruments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Modular Framework<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This framework supports mutual learning and the institutionalization process by providing a knowledge base for the Citizen Assemblies. It relies on the collaborative efforts of the Constituent Network and offers a transparent and crowdsourced platform for collective decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Constituent Network<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The network consists of stakeholders like trade unions, media, NGOs, and citizens’ groups. It plays a critical role in shaping the process, providing feedback, and ensuring accountability. This network also helps expand the project’s reach and contributes to the long-term goal of establishing a permanent Citizens\u2019 Assembly in the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flotilla<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Flotilla is an outreach campaign designed to engage a broader public (“maxi-public”) and raise awareness about participatory and deliberative processes in the EU. It involves a community of supporters who assist in disseminating the project\u2019s outputs and mobilizing constituencies for the institutionalization of the Citizens’ Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The core consortium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The European University Institute\u2019s STG Transnational Democracy Programme launched the Odyssey in 2022 as scientific coordinator and academic partner, in collaboration with European Alternatives, which serves as project and methodologies coordinator.
Particip\u2019Action, the deliberative practitioners, are overseeing co-design, budgeting and facilitating for the 2024 assembly. European Alternatives, the transnational civil society organisation, are building bridges with grassroots networks, bringing minorities and non-EU citizens into the process, and introducing experimental and theatrical formats of assembly. The Citizens Takeover Europe coalition of over 60 civil society organisations is involved in co-designing the process and advocacy. The Democracy and Culture Foundation, based in Athens, contributes expertise in arts, technology and communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now the Democratic Odyssey project is spearheaded by a strategic group of complementary partners, each playing a critical role in the project\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European Alternatives (EA):<\/p>\n\n\n\n