Citizen Assemblies - Policy without Politics

Name: Citizen Assemblies - Policy without Politics
Start: 2025-06-14T08:30:00+0930
End: 2025-06-14T17:00:00+0930
Location: Woodville Town Hall

Sat, 14 Jun, 8:30am - 5pm ACST

Woodville Town Hall

woodville south, australia

Citizen Assemblies for South Australia

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Event description

Join us for an unmissable day of bold ideas, honest conversations, and fresh thinking about the future of democracy.

At a time when trust in traditional politics is at a low, this conference brings together leading voices to explore a new way forward – one that puts everyday citizens at the heart of decision-making.

Throughout the day, you’ll hear from some of the most influential thinkers and practitioners in the field:

Jay Weatherill, former-Premier of South Australia will discuss where Citizen Assemblies could best fit in Australia's political landscape, and join a panel discussion on how deliberative democracy could benefit the nation.
Economist and commentator, Nick Gruen will unpack the problems and failings of representative democracy as we know it.
Iain Walker, CEO of newDemocracy Foundation will explore how deliberative democracy works, drawing on compelling international examples
David Van Reybrouck, UK author of Against Elections – The Case For Democracy, will present his groundbreaking vision for a more participatory democracy (via video link).
Emma Fletcher, Co-CEO of democracyCo will reflect on Australia's experience with Citizen Assemblies so far.

The audience will be invited to take part in group discussions about the main challenges for deliberative democracy in Australia.

The day will close with an expert panel featuring all speakers, exploring practical ways forward for deliberative democracy in Australia.

Expect thought-provoking presentations, dynamic panel sessions, and the chance to engage with ideas that could reshape our political future.

If you're ready to think differently about democracy, this is the conference for you.

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided.

Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity

Hostinformation

Citizen Assemblies for South Australia

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Citizen Assemblies for SA (CAfSA) was founded in Adelaide in 2023 and is an incorporated association advocating for the use of CAs in public policy making.

SA has a tradition of social and economic innovation that has repeatedly resurfaced over the last 180 years. Unlike the rest of Australia, SA had a convict-free foundation. It led the nation in giving women the vote in the 1890s, and was the first in the world to allow women to stand for parliament. From it’s state-led industrialisation in the 1950s, to the social reforms of the Dunstan government in the 1960s and 70s, and to national leadership in wind and solar energy today, SA has tended to chart an independent and innovative course.

The State is thus especially well placed to give serious attention to the potential of CAs in the open development of public policy, and reform of political mechanisms that would embrace and fund their recommendations.

Short-term aim: Local and State government to include CAs as standard practice in policy making.

Long-term aims: To build community trust to the point where the State creates a permanent sortition-based chamber with binding powers. One way forward could be an extra chamber that decides on subjects for State-funded CAs, as happens now in the province of Ostbelgian in Belgium. Another possibility might be for the SA Legislative Council to become a sortition-based chamber – i.e. members are short-term (say 12 months only) and like juries, are selected by lot from the electoral roll.

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Sat, 14 Jun, 8:30am - 5pm ACST

Woodville Town Hall

woodville south, australia

Hosted by Citizen Assemblies for South Australia