Abstract
(English)
|
DEMETRA will demonstrate means to alleviate tensions between democratic governance and climate and sustainability transitions
through an analysis of new deliberative participatory processes (DPPs) such as citizens’ assemblies and e-governance. These bottomup
processes can be highly inclusive allowing to afford a genuine political voice to all segments of society. Accordingly, gender and
intersectional aspects (e.g., socioeconomic background, ethnicity) will be focused on throughout the project in particular with regard
to citizen participation. DEMETRA analyzes the micro-, meso-, and macro-level opportunities for DPPs across Europe supporting the
transition towards a more sustainable future; focuses in particular the transformation towards a more sustainable food system as a crucial
case study; systematically compares DPPs’ setup, processes, and outcomes to identify best practices that contribute to citizens’ democratic
engagement and the co-construction of sustainable societies; identifies DPPs that maximize inclusiveness and empowerment across
social groups, particularly those at the margins of society; and identifies widely applicable solutions to engage in the transformation
toward sustainable food systems. DEMETRA builds on a multidimensional approach that combines macro- (institutional), meso-
(organizational), and micro-level (individual) explanatory factors; a cross-national comparative design that includes European countries
with different DPPs experience and different food systems (Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK); and an
integrated methodological approach based on multiple sources and methods (including population surveys, organizational survey, semistructured
interviews, participant observation, and public policy analysis). In view of the climate imperative and related environmental
challenges, DEMETRA seeks to provide tools for a democratic governance of sustainability transformation.
|
