ABOUT THE CAFE
Since its first meeting in July 2018 the Democracy Café has become a regular place / space for people to come together to discuss issues and ideas about democracy, and how to use them locally and nationally to work towards a better society.
An early meeting on Citizens' Assemblies led to the setting up of OxCAN (The Oxford Citizens' Assembly Network) which supported the City Council in holding Oxford's first ever citizens' assembly. Details of the Oxford Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change can be found here and OxCAN’s summary of learning here.
Last year, May 2020, we published a Manifesto for Local Democracy to highlight the minimum requirements we believe city councillors of all parties should be meeting in order to adequately represent and engage with their electorate. Their responses can be seen here.
Since the Covid-19 virus the past months have highlighted the importance of communities working together. Our discussions on zoom have focused on building local democracy.
In 2021 in this next phase of the Café we plan to focus on community engagement as the basis for a truly democratic society. We will be hearing from those in our community who are trying out new ways of working to strengthen and build community; learning from them and supporting them. The underlying focus will always be ‘What can WE do about democracy?’
Through sharing and exchanging information and ideas we can be a hub/source of information about what is going on locally. So please let us know what is happening in your community and we will post it on the ODC website.
We see ODC as a place for learning, discussion, and support for those who wish to build greater democracy. It is important that the café is a non-party political space where all opinions are heard respectfully, debated, explored, and challenged.
An early meeting on Citizens' Assemblies led to the setting up of OxCAN (The Oxford Citizens' Assembly Network) which supported the City Council in holding Oxford's first ever citizens' assembly. Details of the Oxford Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change can be found here and OxCAN’s summary of learning here.
Last year, May 2020, we published a Manifesto for Local Democracy to highlight the minimum requirements we believe city councillors of all parties should be meeting in order to adequately represent and engage with their electorate. Their responses can be seen here.
Since the Covid-19 virus the past months have highlighted the importance of communities working together. Our discussions on zoom have focused on building local democracy.
In 2021 in this next phase of the Café we plan to focus on community engagement as the basis for a truly democratic society. We will be hearing from those in our community who are trying out new ways of working to strengthen and build community; learning from them and supporting them. The underlying focus will always be ‘What can WE do about democracy?’
Through sharing and exchanging information and ideas we can be a hub/source of information about what is going on locally. So please let us know what is happening in your community and we will post it on the ODC website.
We see ODC as a place for learning, discussion, and support for those who wish to build greater democracy. It is important that the café is a non-party political space where all opinions are heard respectfully, debated, explored, and challenged.
Topics discussed so far:
ODC 2 Participative Democracy
ODC 3 Is the existing political party system good for democracy?
ODC 4 Citizens' Assemblies
ODC 5 Gender Democracy
ODC 6 Local Democracy
ODC 8 Democracy in difficult times
ODC 9 How can we support democracy during the general election campaign?
ODC 10 What now for Democracy?
ODC 11 A manifesto for Local Democracy (cancelled due to COVID19)
ODC 12 No going back....
ODC 13 How do you get your voice heard?
ODC 14 Sharing ideas
ODC 15 Building Local Democracy
ODC 16 Local initiatives
ODC 17 Local Democracy
ODC 18 Next steps for local alliance
ODC 19 Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance
ODC 7 was a listening project in Templar Square
ODC 4 on Citizens' Assemblies led to the setting up of a sub-group OxCAN (The Oxford Citizens' Assembly Network) with the intention of raising awareness about the role of citizens' assemblies as an approach to doing democracy differently and to promote good practice. ODC 4 also influenced the decision by Oxford City Council to run a citizens' assembly on Climate Change. ODC was represented on the independent advisory group which provided governance and oversight of the citizens' assembly by a member of OxCAN.
Citizens' Assemblies OxCAN
Meetings take place every couple of months on Saturday mornings somewhere in the city.
Please join us.
Next meeting:
Date: 12th March 2022
Time: 10.30 - 12.00
Venue: Zoom
Theme: tbc
Dates of future meetings:
7th May 2022
