Towards Democratic Innovation in Israel: The Case for Citizens' Assemblies

Citizens’ Assemblies as Instigators for Climate Action

The erosion of liberal democracies is arguably a sign of our times. Autocratic politics, surveillance, and extremist ultranationalist populist tropes have gained ground globally. So, too, has the urgency of the crisis of climate change become a defining feature of this era, requiring bold action to avert ecological and social disaster.

If we are to draw any lessons from the current coronavirus pandemic, one most certainly must be how it has exposed modern nation states’ vulnerabilities and their general incapacity to plan for and grapple adequately with the complex “wicked problems” and escalated change in an interdependent global world. Crises on the scale of climate change are bound to be far more devastating than anything we have known. Can democracies, so grounded in the short term and so beholden to vested interests, tackle the immense, long-term challenges required to decarbonize economies and shift to sustainable societies?

The paper posits not only that democracies can, but also that they must experiment and re-invigorate themselves to meet the challenges ahead. It presents the case for participatory innovative practices as an important pathway for democratic renewal and for bolder and more ambitious climate action in Israel. A special focus is laid  on one deliberative democratic format, the Citizens’ Assembly, that has gained in popularity around the world of late, especially around climate-related issues.

This policy paper outlines suggestions for convening citizens’ assemblies and identifies a pathway forward for Israeli society.