- Location: Ireland, Northern Ireland
- Institution: Queen's University Belfast
- Status: Active
- Type: Research
- Theme: Enabling Fair Transformations
- Timeframe: 2024 - 2029
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How citizens and communities can help shape a fair transformation through involvement in decision-making and action?
Diverse groups of citizens and communities need to be involved in shaping our how we take action to prevent and live well and fairly with climate change and biodiversity loss. Having more diversity in our decision-making can bring a richness of lived experience, knowledge and perspectives to help with imagining and planning how to make and manage change. It increases the likelihood that changes will be socially and culturally acceptable, that they might work for different places and ways of living and that they might be equitable.
There is a growing body of research and practice about inclusive approaches to decision-making from citizens’ assemblies to local community led climate action which also highlights the challenges. These crises are complex and affect all aspects of life. It can be difficult for citizens to access useful, usable and reliable information and to envisage the implications when the impacts are potentially big, uncertain and take place over long periods of time. There are structural barriers to taking part in decision-making processes, and it can be difficult to find the time and energy when facing day to day challenges and inequities.
The project is taking a case study approach using participatory research and co-design methodologies. It is collaborating with citizens, communities and civil society organisations to co-create or support different instances of inclusive reflection, decision-making and action. Different case studies focus on different aspects of decision-making, different issues and different kinds of engagement.
Project Goals
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Co-design case study projects with citizens and communities featuring inclusive decision-making and action. This will include at least one citizen jury/assembly and at least one tri jurisdictional project.
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Assess and learn with citizen participants about how different inclusive decision-making and action processes and mechanisms can support their engagement in shaping action and policy.
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Assess and learn with citizen participants about how processes led by or including citizens lead to, or inform changes towards a fair transformation. (where possible within the funded timescales and based on the case studies).
