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We know the world is spinning towards catastrophe. We know it\u2019s time to act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we know our \u201cleaders\u201d aren\u2019t doing enough. In the UK, the political system that should be driving change is failing to do what is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why we need a Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice to break the deadlock and to put fairness and justice at the centre of decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPolitics as usual\u201d isn\u2019t good enough. Think about these issues and see how citizens\u2019 assemblies can make things better.OppositionLobbying and DonorsShort term thinkingNot representative<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the UK, Extinction Rebellion\u2019s Third Demand is that the Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice.What is a citizens\u2019 assembly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citizens\u2019 assemblies are not new, and are gaining popularity around the world. They can empower people, communities and entire countries to make important decisions in a way that is fair and deeply democratic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice will bring together a \u201cmini public\u201d of ordinary people to investigate, discuss and make recommendations on how to respond to the climate emergency. Similar to jury service, members will be randomly selected from across the country. The process will be designed to ensure that the Assembly reflects the whole country in terms of characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity, education level and geography. Assembly members will hear balanced information from experts and those most affected by the emergency. Members will speak openly and honestly in small groups with the aid of professional facilitators. Together they will work through their differences and draft and vote on recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Citizens\u2019 Assembly will be run by non-governmental organisations under independent oversight. This is the fairest and most powerful way to cut through party politics. It will empower citizens to actually work together and take responsibility for our climate and ecological emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This isn\u2019t pie in the sky \u2013 it\u2019s proven practice. Citizens\u2019 assemblies around the world have shown that ordinary people can understand complex information, weigh the options, and make informed choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citizens\u2019 assemblies are used to address important issues that electoral politics can\u2019t fix on its own. In recent years, Ireland\u2019s Citizens\u2019 Assembly broke the deadlock on two controversial issues: same-sex marriage and abortion. The recommendations of the Citizens\u2019 Assembly informed public debate and provided politicians cover to make the necessary changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the UK Parliament has experimented with citizens\u2019 assemblies. For example, the Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Social Care<\/a> worked with House of Commons Select Committees, and three similar local level projects were held as part of the Innovation in Democracy<\/a> initiative. In 2020 Climate Assembly UK was commissioned by six House of Commons Select Committees to respond to Parliament\u2019s declaration of an environment and climate emergency \u2013 see more below.Why is Extinction Rebellion demanding a citizens\u2019 assembly on climate and ecological justice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an emergency. The challenges are big, wide-ranging and complex. And solutions are needed urgently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Extinction Rebellion believes that part of the problem is the way electoral politics works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is how a Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice can break the deadlock:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A citizens\u2019 assembly provides us, the people, with a way to decide what\u2019s best for our future, even if that requires radical changes in the present. Moreover, because they are informed and democratic, the Citizens\u2019 Assembly\u2019s decisions will provide political cover and public pressure for politicians to set aside the usual politicking and do the right thing.Why randomly select citizens for the citizens\u2019 assembly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Members of citizens\u2019 assemblies should be randomly selected from the general public for 3 main reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was first used by the Ancient Athenians, who believed that the principle of appointment by lot was integral to fair and impartial decision-making. And it is still applied in our modern legal system, where people are chosen at random for jury duty. Random selection enables people from more diverse backgrounds to contribute to decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more detailed information on the selection process, check out our Citizens\u2019 Assembly Guide<\/a>!Legally binding or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n People often ask if the Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice would be legally binding, i.e. would the government be legally obliged to take on the recommendations. The central issue here is that for the recommendations of a Government-commissioned citizens\u2019 assembly to be legally binding, a change in UK law would first have to be made. All UK acts of law must have parliamentary scrutiny and consent.* This necessary change in UK law is extremely unlikely to be agreed by the UK parliament and we therefore consider a demand that requires it to be unachievable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, any legislation passed by parliament can be reversed at any time. Parliament cannot be bound by previous decisions, it always has the power to undo them. In summary, a demand that a CA\u2019s recommendations be legally binding not only potentially delays action on the CEE, it also is no guarantee that commitments won\u2019t simply be rescinded in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether or not it is legally binding is ultimately irrelevant.<\/strong> What is important is that the citizens\u2019 assembly has the support of the public. If enough people understand what a CA is, how it differs from the system in place, and if it is seen to be fair, transparent, and robust it will be seen as legitimate and the government will be obliged to take the recommendations on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n * The Conservative Government attempted to prorogue parliament in 2019 in an attempt to avoid parliament\u2019s scrutiny and consent. This was proved to be unlawful.How to address deep seated issues concerning fairness and justice<\/p>\n\n\n\n Injustice is at the heart of the climate and ecological crisis and has to be central to the learning and deliberation of the citizens\u2019 assembly. Racial justice, social justice, economic justice, global justice, are all part of historical and ongoing injustices. It is essential that this is recognised and considered throughout the Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who takes part?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n How are the citizens\u2019 assembly members briefed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What do they hear?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n How do citizens\u2019 assemblies differ from people\u2019s assemblies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Extinction Rebellion\u2019s third demand is for the UK Government to create and be led by the decisions of a UK-wide Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice. We use other democratic processes, such as people\u2019s assemblies, in order to generate ideas, gather feedback and make decisions. When it comes to real democracy, Extinction Rebellion walks the walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both citizens\u2019 assemblies and people\u2019s assemblies give ordinary people the opportunity to discuss and reflect on important issues. Professional facilitators provide structure to the discussion and ensure no one dominates. However the purpose and structure of citizens\u2019 and people\u2019s assemblies is very different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Citizens\u2019 assemblies are made up of ordinary people who are randomly selected from the population, similar to jury service. The selection is done in a way that ensures that assembly members accurately reflect the whole population in terms of key characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity, education level and geography. This means they will better reflect and represent the interests of the entire population. They also have a structured learning phase in which members hear from experts and different groups affected by the issue. Citizens\u2019 assemblies are usually focused on informing policy and are particularly useful on issues that are too controversial or long-term for politicians to deal with by themselves. It is a formal process that takes months to plan, and a citizens\u2019 assembly can last from a few months to over a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, people\u2019s assemblies<\/a> are organised discussion forums open to anyone who would like to attend (i.e. self-selected). A people\u2019s assembly is a way to structure meetings with a large number of people and can be used to generate ideas, discuss issues and make decisions. People\u2019s assemblies can last between one and four hours and can take place anywhere \u2014 such as in occupied spaces such as roads and city squares. They have often been used in revolutionary movements, for example, Occupy, the Arab Spring, and the Gilets Jaunes. People\u2019s assemblies were used throughout XR\u2019s April Rebellion to discuss a wide range of issues, from democracy and inclusivity to how to end the April Rebellion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More at: https:\/\/extinctionrebellion.uk\/be-the-change\/citizens-assembly\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We know the world is spinning towards catastrophe. We know it\u2019s time to act. And we know our \u201cleaders\u201d aren\u2019t doing enough. In the UK, the political system that should be driving change is failing to do what is needed. That\u2019s why we need a Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Climate and… Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/extinctionrebellion.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CitizensAssemblyTalk-DifferencePA-CA.png\")
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