November News: €3M Nets4Dem program, reports from Ukraine, Berlin, Sarajevo

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November News

We have big news this month:

  • A new partnership will expand our programs in Europe

  • Launch of our first impact report

  • Highlights from work in Ukraine, Berlin and Sarajevo

  • Climate action funding opportunity, and more!

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Updates 📢

Nets4Dem: People Powered and partners launch €3 million program to connect and expand democratic innovation in Europe

We are proud to announce a new EU-funded initiative to advance democratic innovation and participation across Europe – Nets4Dem: Networks of Networks for Democracy! 

People Powered is a founding partner of Nets4Dem, along with four of our member organizations. In close collaboration with our member Coglobal, we will expand and adapt our existing resources and programs, such as the Participation Playbook, Accelerators, Rising Stars Mentorship, and online resource center, so that they can better support a wide range of innovative democratic programs in Europe. 

Learn more about our new joint team members hosted by Coglobal, Alisa Aliti Vlasic and Juan Francisco Suarez, who will coordinate and implement the Nets4Dem work!

Presenting Our 2020-2023 Impact Report: Building Global Participatory Democracy

People Powered turned three this year, and we’re releasing our first impact report to look back at our work so far! We’ve accomplished a lot:

  • We built global resources and programs to expand participatory democracy. Our resources have been used by over 9,000 people, and we’ve helped launch or improve 24 participatory programs.

  • We built a global community of practice. Our 130 members are the leading organizations and experts on participatory democracy, and we’ve directed over $4.2 million USD to members and their priorities.

  • We built an effective and democratic global organization. We’ve assembled a 15-person staff team based in eight countries and a democratic governance system that’s a global model.

What we learned from the Digital Democracy Accelerator launch in Berlin

We launched the Digital Democracy Accelerator in Berlin, to help governments engage community members in deciding policies that govern the use of data and technology. Thanks to support from Bertelsmann Stiftung and Open Society Foundations, we brought together Europe’s leading and emerging experts in digital policy and participation for two days of learning, visioning and planning. Here are the five biggest lessons we learned at the workshop.

People Powered and NDI are making environmental policymaking more participatory 

We need to engage diverse actors, from advocates and technical experts to the broader public, to tackle environmental issues. Read more about our partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to co-create a new Participation Playbook module to support participation in national-level environmental policymaking.

Case study from Ukraine: How to include displaced people in government decision-making 

In a world where we see wars and escalating conflicts in different regions, how do we ensure that everyone has a say, especially those who are internally displaced?

Read our case study on the challenges and solutions for integrating Internally Displaced People into participatory programs. We explore this through the work of People Powered member Association for Community Participatory Development, in Ukraine.

Opportunities 💡

Apply for the Climate Democracy Accelerator by January 5, 2024

Applications for the 3rd cohort of the Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA) will be closing early next year. Do you have a great idea for a participatory climate action program? This is your chance to receive training, mentorship and grants of up to $30,000 USD to bring it to life! Read the instructions and apply below:

Take our survey on digital participation tools and win $50!

To effectively engage people in decision-making, providing opportunities for online participation is crucial. The challenge is finding the right tools for the right contexts. We built global ratings of digital participation tools to address this challenge, and you can help shape the next edition! Take our survey by November 29, 2023, to be one of the winners of a $50 USD cash prize!

Upcoming Events 🗓️

Funding and Calls 💲

What to Do 🙋