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New ways of citizen participation

The party democracy has a bad image and low voter turnout is an indication that it is at least incomplete. In many places, citizens' groups are formed to avoid contentious projects, but to set this too late. Also, referendums can only supplement and not as a panacea. The equally required "round tables" and more recently mediation talks can provide at best, but sitting there again, only the new "old" officials. I sit therefore advocating a new approach for citizen participation in Magdeburg and Saxony-Anhalt to test a greater acceptance, especially for large and controversial projects to achieve.

goal must be a representative as possible participation of the entire population to achieve. Here I sit among others for the implementation of a pilot project, a Citizens' Association. citizens chambers (or juries) are a group of about 25 in the randomly selected citizens who are exempted for about a week from their work everyday commitments to work in groups of solutions for a given planning problem. The results of their deliberations are in a so-called Citizens' Panel summarized and the policy-making bodies as a consulting position available. To increase the representativeness, usually work more and more citizens chambers in parallel on the same topic.

Consistent with this discussion, I would like to quote to Mr. Lord Dahrendorf of 1969:
"parties, parliaments and governments off today a credibility gap by the people more public and effective participation of citizens, and our style of constant discussion with. Groups are uncomfortable, an order that does not mean cemetery silence, but openness to new ways. "
this path must we go to more people than ever participate in political decisions can be. The aim is to examine the existing mechanisms of public information and participation, for example in the urban land critical.

I invite you to lead this discussion process to new forms of citizen participation with me. We are starting to carry out in April / May in the district chapter of the FDP Magdeburg a series of events on the subject. You can contact me via sven.haller @ fdp-magdeburg.de contact and I will be happy to invite you to this event.

Sven Haller