A whimsical illustration of a landscape with rolling green hills, vibrant pink and purple flowers, small colorful houses, and a flying stork in a clear sky.
EUROPE Network Permanent Assemblies About Us
Text graphic announcing 'Spring School on Climate Citizens' Assemblies, 21-22 May 2024, Budapest'.
Group of women sitting around a table engaged in conversation during a meeting or discussion.
A woman speaking at an event with a microphone in her hand, standing in front of a banner that reads 'School on Citizens' Policies'.
A speaker giving a presentation to an audience seated at tables in a conference room with plants, curtains, and a projector screen.
A woman with curly blonde hair wearing a beige lace dress holding a microphone and gesturing with her hand during a presentation or lecture in a room with a white wall and projection screen.
A world map outline with scattered photographs of diverse people pinned or placed on it.
A group of people engaged in a discussion at a table during a meeting or workshop.
A man in a black jacket speaking into a microphone during a presentation or lecture, with an audience seated in front of him. There is a banner behind him with words related to citizenship, and a projection screen to his right.
A woman presents to a group of people in a conference room. The group is seated and listening attentively. There is a laptop, books, and a projector on a table in front of the presenter.

A new democratic paradigm is gaining momentum in Central and Eastern Europe. The Spring School on Climate Citizens’ Assemblies brought together civil servants and professionals in Budapest for a 2-day training. It marked a step towards integrating democratic innovation to address the climate crisis in the region. Thirty-five participants from 17 countries acquired the skills and knowledge to build successful deliberative processes.

International and local experts created an environment for participants to share their struggles, review case studies, and have a collective learning experience. The school curriculum involves an initiation into the essential elements of organizing a Citizens’ Assemblies through the exploration of specific cases. A blend of presentations and group work gave participants information on cases from Budapest to Scotland. In addition, parallel thematic sessions allowed to address region-specific needs. Fruitful conversations and collective thinking evolved around organizing assemblies in challenging political contexts, the involvement of children and youth in assemblies, and effective communication and public engagement approaches

This event was organised in partnership with KNOCA, the Knowledge Network Climate Assemblies, DemNet, and the European Climate Foundation.

A stylized illustration of a flying stork with white body, pink markings on wings, orange beak, and red legs.

Our events are structured to foster collective discussion, where participants have the space and time to contribute to the learning experience of the two days.

Speakers and participants share the room for the entire event, helping with the exchange of ideas and addressing tailored questions. The sessions involve a range of formats, from presentations to group work and interactive workshops.

Download the programme here

Resources

Readings

Speakers’ Presentations

Pictures

Recordings will be available on our YouTube channel

SPEAKERS

  • A woman with blonde hair and light skin standing outdoors with her arms crossed, wearing a cream-colored sweater over a blue shirt, against a background of green trees and sunlight.

    Eva Bordos

    DemNet

  • A middle-aged man with glasses smiling outdoors, wearing a floral patterned shirt and dark pants, standing in front of green foliage.

    Graham Smith

    KNOCA

  • A smiling young person with curly red hair, wearing glasses, a patterned button-up shirt over a white T-shirt, and dark pants, standing outdoors in front of greenery and a building wall.

    Kelly McBride

    TPXimpact

  • Man with dark hair and fair skin wearing a black blazer and black shirt, standing outdoors near green plants and a gray wall.

    Damir Kapidžić

    University of Sarajevo

  • A woman standing outdoors in front of green shrubbery, smiling with arms crossed, wearing a sleeveless gray top and black pants.

    Simone Klint

    We Do Democracy

  • Yves Dejaeghere

    FIDE - Europe

  • A woman with dreadlocks standing outdoors near greenery and gray wooden siding, wearing a colorful, patterned jacket and a beaded necklace, smiling gently.

    Laura Grossmann

    Organisation Developer, Trainer

  • A woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a light blue striped blouse standing outdoors in front of greenery.

    Maria Jagaciak

    Shipyard Foundation

  • A young woman with long brown hair wearing a navy and white striped long-sleeve shirt, standing outdoors with green foliage in the background.

    Katie Reid

    Child and Youth Participation Specialist

Logo for the Federation for Innovation in Democracy (FIDE), featuring the acronym FIDE in large letters and the full name in smaller text to the right.
KNOCa logo with the text "Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies" underneath.
Logo for DemNet with a stylized dotted globe and the text 'DemNet' underneath.
Logo of the European Climate Foundation, featuring abstract overlapping blue and yellow circular shapes with the organization's name in blue text.
A group of people sitting around a table having a discussion at Spring School on Climate Citizens' Assemblies in Budapest, with a poster in the background and various cups, notebooks, and a water bottle on the table.
A woman with glasses and curly hair is speaking into a microphone during a presentation or discussion in a meeting room, with several seated attendees listening attentively.
A man in a black shirt is sitting at a table with other people in a meeting or group discussion, with a serious and attentive expression.
Group of five people sitting around a wooden table in a meeting room, engaged in discussion. The table has notebooks, coffee cups, and a small vase with daisies.
A woman in a black top and orange floral skirt displays a smartphone to a group of people, sitting or standing in a room with wooden walls and a doorway in the background.
Group of people engaged in a serious discussion around a conference table during a meeting.
A woman sitting in a room with a window, next to a whiteboard displaying multiple pictures of animals including dogs, cats, and birds.