New LucidTalk polling on the topics people in NI would like to see discussed in a Citizens' assembly and how the membership of an assembly should be structured. Health (70%), Education (59%), and Poverty (52%) were the most selected.

A round of applause at the Civic Initiative report launch for the range of people involved in the success of the project, including the Initiative committees, facilitators, forum members, participants in community workshops, community organisers and speakers to the Housing Forum.

The Civic Initiative just held a citizens' assembly in NI. 84 citizens ratified 38 policy recommendations for the assembly. We called on the NI Assembly, UK, and Irish governments to deliver on the New Decade New Approach commitment on citizens' assemblies this week.

Could citizens' assemblies be key to unlocking progress in NI? Emma DeSouza writing in today's Belfast Telegraph on the Citizens' Forum on Housing, which ratified 38 policy recommendations. 91% endorsed the use of citizens' assemblies by the NI Assembly m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/…

Missed our report launch last month? The Civic Initiative is hosting a special event at Stormont next week to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens' Forum on Housing and the use of citizens assemblies. March 31, 5pm, Senate Chamber Register: eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-citizen…

At our meeting on Thursday we will hear from Northern Ireland Anti Poverty Network, the People's Postcode Lottery and Civic Initiative. View the full agenda for the meeting at nia1.me/551.

Join the Civic Initiative for a special Stormont event on the use of citizens assemblies and recommendations of the Citizens' Forum on Housing. March 31, 5pm, Senate Chamber Registration: eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-citizen…

Les Allamby and Emma DeSouza will be speaking to the Committee for Communities at Stormont on behalf of the Civic Initiative from 12pm. today. You can follow along live at: niassembly.tv/live-stream-1/

Les Allamby and Emma DeSouza briefed the Committee for Communities on the work of the Civic Initiative this afternoon. Political parties already committed to the use of citizens' assemblies in New Decade, New Approach. Our work shows their potential.

Thank you to Kellie Armstrong for sponsoring today's Civic Initiative event in the Senate Chamber. Citizens' assemblies work. The Citizens' Forum voted by 85% for the NI assembly to launch a citizens' assembly every year. A valuable tool to strengthen democracy and decision-making.

"There is an electorate out there who are civicly engaged but not politically engaged" Initiative Chair Les Allamby speaking to the Committee for Communities on the recent Citizens' Forum on Housing & how citizens' assemblies complement representative democracy.

Polling from LucidTalk Ireland Thinks on cross-border cooperation for the Civic Initiative shows public support for North-South cooperation on a range of socioeconomic areas: Infrastructure 79% (ROI) 71% (NI) Health 67% (NI) 65% (ROI) Economic Development 66% (ROI) 60% (NI)

Northern Ireland's Citizens’ Forum on Housing provides a blueprint and demonstrates not only that citizens' assemblies can be effective, but that there is public appetite across communities to be a part of them, writes Emma DeSouza via agendaNi magazine agendani.com/can-the-use-of…

In the UK, over 30 Citizens’ assembly initiatives have been held over the past 5 years. To test the viability for assembly structures in NI, a wide range of civil society organisations, academics, and activists launched the Civic Initiative. Read the blog by Emma DeSouza below.

"Decision-makers can use these structures to their benefit, road testing new ideas, testing public opinion, and importantly strengthening trust in political institutions." Emma DeSouza of Civic Initiative writes for Pivotal Platform. pivotalpolicy.org/our-work/pivot…

A timely Platform article today given news of the resurrection of the Civic Forum. Deliberation and participation have the potential to radically open both our politics and our democracy.

NI's political parties already committed to the use of citizen assemblies. The Citizens’ Forum on Housing provides a blueprint & demonstrates not only that assemblies can be effective but that there's public appetite across communities to be a part of them qub.ac.uk/Research/GRI/m…

Decision-makers can use citizens' assemblies to their benefit, road testing new ideas, testing public opinion, & importantly strengthening trust in political institutions. The Citizens' Forum on Housing proves that assemblies can work in Northern Ireland. pivotalpolicy.org/our-work/pivot…