Join this film and panel discussion for reflections on the French Climate Assembly and its aftermath.

In 2018, France's President Macron's carbon-tax increase led to months of political protest and crisis led by the "Yellow-Vest" movement. Macron's government responded by convening a "Grand National Debate," which included 18 regional citizens' assemblies and an additional National Assembly on Climate Change. In these processes, randomly selected citizens were tasked with deliberating the complex and difficult issues facing French society. The French Climate Assembly, lasting for nine months, put lottery-based democracy on the world stage.

Before April 7, watch "Les 150"on Youtube for free with English subtitles. (For help with turning on the subtitles, check out this video.)

Then, on April 7, join us for a panel on the French process and its aftermath. What can we learn from the French example and the numerous other Assemblies that have occurred in its wake?

The panel will feature:

Helene Landemore (Yale U. author of Open Democracy)

Agny Kpata (President of Les 150, the citizens' lobby)

Eva Rovers (Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies)

Dimitri Courant (Researcher at Harvard)

Marjan Ehsassi (Researcher at Johns Hopkins)

Baptiste Rouget-Luchaire (Director, Les 150)

Event organizer: The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College