Positive Thinking

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Positive Thinking: Citizens' Assemblies

Citizens' Assemblies

BBC Radio 4 - Positive Thinking, Citizens' Assemblies

Sangita Myska asks if citizens assemblies are the way to strengthen democracy in Britain.

Sangita Myska hears from the democratic innovator David Van Reybrouck, co-founder of one of the first permanent citizens' assemblies in the world.

This week Sangita talks to writer, historian and democratic innovator David Van Reybrouck, who spearheaded the first permanent citizens' assembly in the world in the tiny region of German-speaking East Belgium. His Peoples' Senate, whose participants are selected randomly by lot, is carefully stitched into the fabric of government.

So what lessons might the East Belgian model offer to countries like Britain which are suffering from 'democratic fatigue syndrome' - where politicians are widely perceived as 'out of touch' with the people? 

Sangita discusses the permanent citizens' assembly model with a panel of experts: Sarah Castell, Chief Executive Officer of Involve, a think tank which works to increase public participation in politics; Justine Greening, former Secretary of State for Transport, Education and International Development under two Conservative Prime Ministers; and Simon Woolley, founder of Operation Black Vote, cross-bench peer, and Principal of Homerton College, Cambridge.

Producer: Eliane Glaser

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Big ideas that might solve some of the biggest problems facing Britain today.

Positive Thinking takes a deep dive into some of the biggest problems facing Britain today - and meets the people whose big ideas might solve them.

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