Democracy

A collection of stories about participatory democracy and our collective ability to reimagine what democracy looks like between and beyond election cycles.

Topics and Collections

Introducing… Beyond Elections

What if democracy could be so much more than what we think it is?

Pam Bailey
Violence is a Community Problem that Must be Solved by the Community

Residents in Yumbo, Colombia, brainstorm solutions to urban violence

Pam Bailey
Zimbabwe NGO Helps the People Take Charge of Climate Resilience

Zimbabwe’s climate strategy isn't responsive to rural communities; Green Institute engaged citizens to change that.

Ben Wrobel
Humanqind's Vision: Children Co-Designing Safer Streets

Ruchi Varma has a vision for designing safer school zones that involves asking children as young as nine what they should look like

Proximate
Extinction Rebellion Is Calling for Citizens Assemblies. Here's Why.

Citizens' assemblies are on the agenda for the political group

Pam Bailey
Citizens’ Assemblies Picking up Steam in UK

Richard Wilson, of Iswe Foundation, predicts in The Guardian that in its first 100 days, the Labour government will announce a citizens’ assembly.

Proximate
Let’s Integrate Participatory Budgeting and Citizens’ Assemblies

The two most important democratic innovations of the last 30 years have developed in parallel but not in unison

Nick Vlahos
When Will the United States Start Taking Citizens’ Assemblies Seriously?

Citizens’ assemblies are increasingly popular in Europe and Canada. But not in the United States. How come?

Pam Bailey
Extinction Rebellion Is Calling for Citizens Assemblies. Here's Why.

Citizens' assemblies are on the agenda for the political group

Pam Bailey
In Conflict Zones, Could Democracy Work Without Elections?

Iain Walker offers on the role of participatory democracy in areas without a working government – and why attempts to solve conflicts often fail

Proximate
Can Participatory Budgeting Revive Trust in Brazil's Democracy?

Months after the attack on the National Congress, President Lula is betting on a new digital platform to give citizens a voice in their democracy

Marcela Martins
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Trust in democracy is near an all-time low in countries around the world. We’re inspired by an emerging network of pro-democracy activists who argue that one way to save liberal democracy is to return to democracy’s roots: to encourage public participation in the democratic process.

We’ll write about participatory democracy from all angles, exploring models like participatory budgeting, citizens’ assemblies and legislative theater that give everyday people a chance to decide over the future of their communities.

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Proximate is an independent media platform covering movements for participatory problem-solving. We look at the news through the lens of money: how it’s given away, how it’s invested, and how it’s distributed by government.
We are a fiscally sponsored project of Movement Strategy Center.

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