Media

Across the world, democracies are grappling with a widening gap between citizens and those who govern. Australia is no exception.

We had the opportunity to share findings from our new report this morning on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio Canberra Mornings with James Findlay.

The Guidebook for Deliberative Engagement: Key Features and Practical Insights, was launched by the University in collaboration with the New South Wales (NSW) Government, with support from the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs Office for Social Cohesion.

Connecting to Parliament is a research project that aims to involve more Australians in parliamentary processes by making democracy more deliberative and engaging for everyday citizens, and connecting them with their elected officials.

Citizens’ assemblies are enjoying a moment in the spotlight – but while they promote deliberation among citizens, they often cut elected officials out of the picture altogether. Several less well-known formats worldwide apply similar methods with the aim of getting representatives and voters to talk to one another. Among them is Australia’s “Connecting to Parliament” project.

What does democracy mean to you? As a uni student, I studied a course on ‘deliberative democracy’ with Professor Lyn Carson that made me think about how the processes we use determine our ability to meaningfully participate in democracy.

Many Australians would baulk at the idea of importing elements of the American political process into Australia, but federal MP Andrew Leigh and a team of researchers at the University of Canberra are hoping they can replicate a process that will bring "fresh air" into Parliament.

Social capital is an ugly phrase for a beautiful concept. Physical capital is the hard things you can break your toe on - bridges, roads, buildings. Human capital is skills and ideas. Social capital is the idea that the links between us have inherent value. So when societies have greater levels of trust, when they have bigger social networks.

University of Canberra’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance (CDDGG) is the first Research Centre to explore the idea of directly representative democracy in Australia by organising online and face-to-face Town Halls, which will bring together the constituents of the Australian Electoral Division of Fenner with their elected representative, the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP on 20 and 21 September.