Deliberative democracy attempts in Estonia

Forestry Assembly as part of the drafting of a development plan

The Forestry Assembly in spring 2019 gathered around 40 people selected by lottery, who – over two weekends – where learning about the state and future of forestry, discussed alternatives and submitted 100 suggestions to the ministry. The proposals serve as an input to the development plan of forestry.

#HowDoWeLast? deliberations around shrinking population issues

There were 34 community discussions organised in 2018-2019 around the reality of a shrinking population. The locally organised discussions that followed the Knowledge Safari method circled around problems of employment, migration within and outside Estonia, and family policy. In total 358 people from all around Estonia proposed 90 solutions to the problems. A web-based call for ideas increased that number. At face-to-face thematic seminars experts prioritized the offered solutions. Around 20 proposals of the #HowDoWeLast civic initiative where then passed to responsible ministries and local governments. Couple of ideas will take the shape of collective proposal to the parliament. 

More in Estonian: https://kestame.rahvaalgatus.ee/

People’s Assembly on the Future of Ageing in 2017

Initiated by the need to reform the pension system, coordinated by the Estonian Cooperation Assembly, resulted in 26 ideas on the future of ageing as collective addresses to the Parliament of Estonia. The Assembly raised a wide public discussion around the topics of ageing society and possible solutions.

People’s Assembly (Rahvakogu) on elections, political parties and citizen engagement in 2013

Caused by illegal funding of the back-then Prime Minister’s party, organised by couple of hundred volunteers, resulted in 15 proposals by randomly selected citizens to the parliament, out of which many have been realised.