Protest & Participation – Mapping innovative participation practices in Europe
For the first time we want to map innovative civic engagement projects that foster political participation in Berlin, Germany, and Europe in order to boost inter civil society coordination and open debates about democracy and participation in Europe.
Where does the idea come from?
Mapping innovative participation practices for third country nationals’ and EU citizens’ opportunities to vote in Europe
In the wake of the European election 2014, Jede Stimme e.V. will connect initiatives, actions, and discussions in Europe to further innovative projects for political participation in civil society. We are especially looking at innovative practices on both expanding and enforcing immigrants’ opportunities to vote.
Not only will civil society actors and activists be an essential part of our multi layered project but also we will connect with politics, academia, and civil society and provide proper feedback to all participants of the project through the forthcoming publication and a public event in November 2014 to build a strong network of actors across Europe.
We want to learn more about your project!
This non partisan initiative is open for participation projects at all levels. Projects from NGOs with various backgrounds dealing with participation issues, citizenship and voting rights will be addressed.
We approach diverse projects and their actors from 3 perspectives:
- We want to find out more about the need for civil society for coordination in the field of civic engagement
- We will provide actors in the filed with a handbook, an inventory of ideas and concrete action by collecting information about the different initiatives in the field civic participation in general, and also more specifically in connection with the EP2014
- We initiate the transfer of innovative participation projects from other regions of the EU to Berlin in 2015/16
Topics to be addressed:
- debate democracy deficits in regards to voting rights of third country nationals in Europe and their representation in the EU parliament
- discuss national voting rights for the population of the EU based on residency
- promote representation of migrants at all levels of the European polity (local, regional, national, European)
- strengthen civic engagement
Research question:
What kind of activities and initiatives exist, especially around the EP elections 2014 and how can Berlin profit from the experiences?
- What kind of projects similar to Jede Stimme 2011 or Wahlrecht für alle! exist on NGO level?
- What concrete actions were pursued? (e.g. symbolic elections, public events, etc.)?
- Legal actions for or against the right to vote on local, regional, or national level in European countries
- Lines of arguments used to promote more participation in general or to advocate the the right to vote
Deliverables:
- Publication (online and offline) stock taking of civil society projects
- Event in Berlin with organisations that want to take part in a project transfer from their city to Berlin in Summer 2015. Possible frame: regional elections to the city parliament of Berlin 2016
Timetable:
- We will contact you towards the end of July 2014 to collect further information about your projects or proposals.
- Based on decisions by the local community in Berlin we will invite selected institutions or individuals to come to Berlin in November/December 2014 to plan the transfer to the city.
The project is supported by:
