Future-Ready Society Conference Series: Learning Journey 2 – Citizens’ Assemblies, Panels and Juries

This panel centers on the concept of citizen assemblies as a means of collective decision-making and community empowerment. Participants will explore the role of citizen assemblies in fostering collaboration and addressing societal challenges. Through discussions on democratic processes and community engagement, the panel aims to highlight the potential of citizen assemblies to promote inclusivity, equity, and mutual care within communities. We also look at how children have organised themselves using such participatory processes to address national or international issues.

Claudia CHWALISZ is the Founder and CEO of DemocracyNext. She co-leads the Tech-Enhanced Deliberative Assemblies Pop-Up Lab with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC). From 2018-2022, Claudia served as the Innovative Citizen Participation Lead at the OECD, where she analysed around 600 examples of deliberative assemblies around the world, co-authored the Catching the Deliberative Wave report, and set international standards for implementation and institutionalisation. She was involved in designing the world’s first permanent deliberative bodies made up of people drawn by a lottery in Ostbelgien, Paris, and Brussels. Claudia is an Obama Leader Europe 2023 and serves as an Advisor to the UN Democracy Fund, The Data Tank, MIT CCC and Design & Democracy. 

Swarnalakshmi RAVI is Program Coordinator for South Zone at PRATYeK, NINEISMINE, a child-led advocacy initiative for the rights of all children. She holds master’s degrees in Political Science from the University of Madras and International Relations from Aston University, where she received the International Vice Chancellor Scholarship. A certified Sociocracy Governance Method facilitator, she has led the Inclusive Neighbourhood Children’s Parliaments in India, including serving as the National Child Prime Minister. With 13 years of experience, she has developed board software for children and pitched apps to venture capitalists. She has addressed the United Nations on four occasions on inclusive education and women’s rights, and currently supports the World Children’s Parliament as a Global Convenor.

Carol SOON is Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies where she heads the Society and Culture department. Her research interests are in media regulation and digital policy, digital literacy and web 3.0. Dr Soon also specialises in policy communication and the design of public engagement. She has worked with various government agencies on engaging citizens in co-creating and co-implementing policy solutions through citizens’ panels.  Dr Soon also hold appointments at the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety, NUS Centre for Trusted Internet and Community, Asia Journalism Fellowship and Media Literacy Council. 

LIN Xiaoling is the Group Lead of the Research and Advocacy Group of Singapore Children’s Society. She joined the Society in 2010 as a Public Education Executive, working on developing public education and advocacy initiatives for the Society. Xiaoling’s work is focused on preventing child abuse and neglect, promoting body safety education in young children and positive parenting, as well as translating the organisation’s research findings into practical actions for greater impact and change.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please click here to register by  Monday, 15 July 2024.

After you register, the link and password to the meeting will be sent to you via email nearing to the date of the event.