IDEAS FROM AUDIENCES ABOUT
THE NATIONAL CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY



Emissions continue to rise, exploration for oil continues,airport expansion continues, colonial destruction of the Global South continues. The political process has failed; we are in the sixth mass extinction with increasing disruption from climate and ecological breakdown.

End Climate Chaos concerts feature conversation on how a National Citizens' Assembly can usefully steer broken politics and usher in an era of repair. Following music performance and a short talk, the audience splits into groups for 20 minute conversations. Then the room comes back together for a summary of ideas from each group. Below are some of these ideas to provide data on our current understanding how Assemblies could be formed.


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ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH
LIVERPOOL
12th MAY 2019





Political power needs to be represented; eg the Greens need to be included.


The media needs to report during the process so wider society knows the National Citizens’ Assembly is happening. How do we make the media non-biased?


Most people on the outside don’t know what a National Citizens’ Assembly is; XR should make a mock National Citizens’ Assembly and film it to disseminate what it is.


A National Citizens’ Assembly is a re-learning of what we do. We should not align the National Citizens’ Assembly with politics, hopefully we can use it to get move away from politics and take responsibility away from politicians.


There must be no corporate sponsorship.


We should have a letter-writing campaign to ask politicians what they think of the National Citizens’ Assembly.


People need guidance on how to get the ball rolling. Maybe XR should start running classes on the National Citizens’ Assembly, and then this conversation is taken back to local communities. We could have an activist conference about the National Citizens’ Assembly.


We have to meet regularly to teach and share, we might not have to re-invent the wheel, perhaps we don’t need the National Citizens’ Assembly, we could use institutions like churches and together, ask what we can do about climate change and work it out this way, rather than spend our time creating the National Citizens’ Assembly.



ST JAMES AND EMMANUEL DIDSBURY
MANCHESTER
14th MAY 2019





Manchester Explain why a National Citizens’ Assembly is necessary, get people to start talking about it by distributing leaflets, posters, using social media etc.


Target individual council members and use grass roots networks. Also use school councils to spread notes.


Residents have the right to attend council meetings and ask questions for up to 2 minutes. Use this process to propose conversation about a National Citizens’ Assembly.


Use opportunities in hustings (eg forthcoming MEP elections) to ask questions on a National Citizens’ Assembly.


Trial a National Citizens’ Assembly on one topic that’s not too threatening (eg air pollution) to show counsellors what the process is. Contact more faith groups on the National Citizens’ Assembly to spread the message.


We don’t have time to trial a National Citizens’ Assembly, we need to make it happen as soon as possible using social media etc


Have a National Citizens’ Assembly in one city at a time, mobilise Extinction Rebellion to come to that city to draw attention


Make the council feel they own it, then they will make it


Do our research: who made National Citizens’ Assemblies, what worked, what didn’t, learn from them


Identify Mayors and others who are talking about the need for more devolution and make conversations with them


Promote National Citizens’ Assembly to those outside the bubble Have a restorative process, build on process of restorative justice system and bring it in to the National Citizens’ Assembly



FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
HUDDERSFIELD
15th MAY 2019





Have an online campaign/use social media including petitioning to increase awareness.


Approach local council with demands including introducing a local Citizens’ Assembly to address the climate emergency in Huddersfield.


Put climate breakdown back into education as a compulsory subject.


Find out how the National Citizens’ Assembly will work within democracy and alongside politicians – and have no politicians within it.


The executive power to enact decisions by the National Citizens’ Assembly should be under the control of those who take part in it.


The National Citizens’ Assembly shouldn’t be about popularity, it’s should be about addressing the flaws in the system, not just about climate and ecological breakdown - it’s not about doing what people “want” (the Sortition Foundation is relevant: it addresses systemic flaws)


We need to know how the random, representative sample comes about? The age group should be from 14 years old upwards.


Parliament might have to fund the National Citizens’ Assembly.


It needs to be well publicised before, during and after so everyone knows, and there needs to be “honour” attached to being on the Assembly.


Maybe for a city the size of Huddersfield we need 300 people on the Assembly, broken into three groups. It should be replaced regularly, for example every six months.


We need to understand what happens after the National Citizens’ Assembly - the fact that politicians represent us is a myth.



ST CUTHBERT'S CHURCH
CARLISLE
18th MAY 2019





Carlilse has already declared a Climate Emergency and is planning a Citizens' Assembly. Others in the region are set to follow, Kendal Town Hall has decided to fund an Assembly.


Carlisle We need a process or sortition where everyone has a say, we can use a petition to put the idea out there.


In Ireland the National Citizens’ Assembly had 99 members, for a town the size of Carlisle we’d need around 20 -30 members, plus an expert to advise us.


Peter Bryant from Shared Future has offered to come up to help get the council on board.


There are various groups in Carlisle, we need to choose representatives from these groups – including homeless people who are not on the voting register.


Do we make the National Citizens’ Assembly happen bottom up or top down?


How do we incentivise politicians? We need to tell them we are there to help, we’re not threatening them.


Each geographical region has a different area of concern, so the Assembly should be national.


What do we do if the council won’t do it? We have to chauffeur them, perhaps by having an “Assembly Czar” to interact with council and be accountable.


Education is necessary, councillors need to understand what the National Citizens’ Assembly is. A city-wide debate could be the way forward, especially in Carlisle where there’s currently a hung council.


Media coverage is vital, current local BBC interest in the National Citizens’ Assembly includes a prominent regional BBC TV journalist.



ST THOMAS' CHURCH
HEPTONSTALL, CALDERDALE
19th MAY 2019





How involved should the council be?


The Community Foundation for Calderdale funds apolitical initiatives, maybe they could fund the Assembly to support people to attend, for example by funding their childcare and transport costs, this means the Assembly would be inclusive.


It can’t be compulsory; people have to want to do it.


How would the experts be chosen?


The language is important so that it brings people together and allows for expressions.


The Assembly needs to be a two-way conversation, there needs to be out outward transmission while it’s taking place.


Regional Assemblies will discuss different issues, eg fracking, coastal erosion, so there could be regional specifications.


The Assembly could be hyper-local, literally street to street, helping residents organise how to source their needs locally. People need to know who is growing which vegetables, so a neighbourhood has a variety of produce to share out.


The random selection of the Assembly flies in the face of what happens now.


How do we form the Citizens’ Assembly, how do we define Calderdale – will there be an algorithm for selecting people or a postcode lottery or a deliberate representative model?


Will there be children on the Assembly? This would be a good way for adults to keep informed on what’s happening in schools and among younger people – so we know what they are thinking/feeling.


The council has a Climate Emergency Fund – this should be used. What would be the scope?


The Assembly needs to address economy/growth, ownership, transport, science and technology.



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Founded by composer pianist lola perrin