Amid democratic backsliding, civic disillusionment, and growing threats to democratic values, driven by authoritarianism, polarisation, and disinformation, there is now an urgent case to promote democratic resilience and renewal. In this event an expert panel discusses alternative approaches to democracy, including direct democracy, deliberative democracy, and other forms of democratic experimentation. This event examines the practice of direct democracy by referendum in Switzerland, and the practice of deliberative democracy by Citizens Assemblies in Ireland. The event will explore what lessons can be learnt from these examples and their relevance for other democracies.

This event is organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland.

The panel for this event include:

Associate Professor Joseph Lacey, Founding Director of the Centre for Democracy Research, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin;
Professor Daniel Kübler, Professor at the Department of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Democracy Studies, University of Zurich
Louise Caldwell, Member of the Board of Directors for People Powered: Global Hub for Participatory Democracy, and former member of the Irish Citizens Assembly 2016 – 2018
and it was moderated by:
Susan Daly, Managing Editor, Journal Media