Citizenship education reinvented through play

Dear difteurs,

On December 3, Démocratie Ouverte, alongside Vraiment Vraiment, had the pleasure of leading an immersive and discovery workshop offered by LaBase, Laboratoire d'innovation publique territoriale en Gironde in Bordeaux.

The "Microparliaments of the Living" experiment carries the ambition to give biodiversity a voice in territorial projects, at the heart of public policies.

In particular, the aim is to propose a citizen participation mechanism that opens up a space for dialogue between human stakeholders and non-human species, in order to develop territories that respect the living.

During this workshop, we tested two bricks:

1) Discovering a species, how it works, what its needs are, and putting it into dialogue with a human. The aim was to come up with solutions and compromises that would protect the interests of living things.

2) Preparing for deliberation in a territorial council: how to support an elected representative, what to say, what roles for the members of the micro-parliament, what staging?

The feedback from participants, who came from different professional backgrounds, was extremely instructive, encouraging us to continue seeking partnerships in the territories.

A big thank you to you, dear difteurs, for your invaluable support and donations✨

At a time when democratic issues have particularly fueled the French news, Démocratie Ouverte continues to host the Fresque de la démocratie to promote understanding of the French democratic system for younger people! For example, on July 3 we worked alongside the AIME ton engagement association to raise awareness among a group of young people on civic service. 
The AIME association develops courses in self-discovery and associative commitment via its AIME Ton Engagement insertion promotion. Twice a year, a group of 10 to 15 young people are recruited on a Civic Service mission, as part of the AIME team. 

On Saturday March 16, Démocratie Ouverte was in Valenciennes for the Festival Provox organized by the Comité Régional des Associations de Jeunesse et d'Education Populaire (CRAJEP)! Bringing together young people, associations, companies and local authorities, the Festival helps promote the voice of young people in decisions and actions that concern them. 
A total of 273 participants were on hand to discuss the place of young people, citizen participation initiatives and to lead a whole multi-actor network of participation and citizenship.

The perfect opportunity to reinvent citizenship education and encourage participant engagement by offering them the chance to play at the Democracy Fresco! The Démocratie Ouverte team facilitated a Fresque workshop with the youngsters, enabling them to discuss our democracy and ways of getting involved.