📸 Some photos from our in-person launch at the Democracy Lounge event within the Imagine! Festival in Belfast.

You can read a summary of the event in our latest newsletter here 👇buff.ly/4aWw7IN

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Have you registered for this yet?

Thursday 2 May

We'll be gathering views on the state of democracy in Ireland north and south and looking for ways that network members can work together to make the change we want to see for a better, fairer, and more participatory society.

💯Reform needs to reflect stability, end the Veto, create a space that utilises deliberative (participatory) democracy methods…builds trust in the transparency of truly open public involvement, reflected in future governance, policy and legislation Northern Ireland Assembly Matthew O'Toole

📢 Announcing 'The School for Everyday Democracy'!

Today we're excited to announce a new major programme which aims to build the power of people from all walks of life to create a better, fairer democracy in the UK.

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The politics of this alone are momentous. But in the interests of justice - as well as your bank balance - you should be very careful in commenting on the allegations which are now before a court. If not, you could go to jail, or be sued for defamation.

'No one I spoke to for this piece could name a recent sizable pedestrianization or traffic-reduction scheme that had been reversed once it had been given time to have an effect.'

wired.com/story/car-free…

🎉 After months of hard work and many conversations with people from across the island of Ireland, it's been great to see All-Island Better Democracy Network officially launch at ¡MAGINE! today!

Find out more about this ambitious project to strengthen democracy here 👇
betterdem.org

Betterdem.org All-Island Better Democracy Network is officially launched. After the conversations today, I'm fired up for what we can do collectively to make better democracy a reality.

In evidence published by Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, our Head of Northern Ireland, Rebekah McCabe/ Ríobcha Ní Cába, makes the case for involving citizens, putting forward that a participatory approach can help find solutions that work for everyone and have public support when delivered 🤝

Our key points 🧵👇

Working for civic voice, participation, or deliberative democracy on the island of Ireland? Got a job, event, publication, offer or request you want to share with people who care as much about those issues as you do?

Let us know and we'll include it in our newsletter next week

A timely reminder...

🎉 So many great events in the ¡MAGINE! festival, including Democracy Lounge and the launch of the All-Island Better Democracy Network!

🎟️Have you gotten your ticket yet?

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imaginebelfast.com/event/democrac…

Great that involve & others have been able to make the political case for citizens' assemblies.

And looking forward to working with Demos Miriam Levin Polly Curtis to develop plans for how, when & why they can be used to build a more collaborative & effective democracy.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin calls for reform of the Stormont institutions

'..the realities of today are not those of 1998 and that the time has come for reform.. we simply need to find a way to end the cycle of instability..'

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northe… BBC News NI