January News: Board Openings, Climate Assemblies, PB for Climate Change

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It’s been a difficult year for democracy, but we’re here to help. Read more about new practical online courses on participatory democracy, board opportunities, materials to help you address climate change, and three ways to take action.

New Online Course: How to Start a Climate Assembly

Register now for our third People Powered University course, “How to Start a Climate Assembly,” which will take place on February 18th. Citizens’ climate assemblies or panels are one of the latest innovations in using public participation to address climate change. Local and national climate assemblies provide a space for community members to learn how climate change impacts their community or country, and then develop and propose concrete actions for the government to take.

In the course, you will learn key lessons from climate assemblies in the United Kingdom, Poland, and France. Leading practitioners and advocates will share best practices and help you identify next steps to advocate for and start a climate assembly in your home city or country.

Apply for a People Powered Board

Are you interested in helping to build a stronger global movement for participatory democracy? We’re seeking passionate new board members to serve on three organizational boards: our Board of Directors, the Global PB Research Board, and the Global PB Practitioner Board. Read about the opportunities, then apply for a board to help us expand people’s power over government decisions around the world. Application deadline: February 5, 2021.

Participatory Budgeting for Climate Change

Cities are increasingly using participatory budgeting (PB) to address climate change, with residents. We developed an online course to help more local governments learn from and replicate these experiences, and we summarized key lessons from the course on our blog. Along with the course recording, info sheet, and mentorship program, we hope this resource will help you incorporate climate change in your PB practice. Please share it with others passionate about participatory climate action!

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Featured Member: Montreal Urban Ecology Center

The Montréal Urban Ecology Centre (MUEC) is a nonprofit organization created in 1996 by citizens committed to transforming their community. It proposes practices and policies to create ecological, democratic, and healthy cities.

MUEC recently helped launch Montréal’s first citywide PB process. The CA$10 million process is an innovative new model of PB, focused explicitly on “social and ecological transition.” It is funding projects in four issues: fighting against and adapting to climate change, protecting natural habitats, producing and consuming differently, and promoting solidarity, equity, and inclusion.

MUEC helped develop the process and facilitate ideation and project development workshops. January 8 was the last day for residents to submit ideas, and voting will take place in June after the projects are developed and assessed for feasibility. Congratulations to MUEC on modeling a new way for PB to address climate change and social justice!

Featured Resources: Legislative Theater

We recently added several new practical resources on legislative theater to our online resource center. Originating in Brazil in 1992, legislative theater uses community theater to identify, develop, and enact new legislation. Through interactive theater shows, community members act out solutions to situations of oppression, then work with officials to transform these solutions into new laws.

Visit our resource center for new recommended podcasts, blog posts, reports, and books by Augusto Boal, the creator of legislative theater. And check out our interview with Katy Rubin about the new legislative theatre program for Manchester’s homelessness prevention strategy!

What You Can Do