Who sets the agenda, and how does asking the question “set the frame” for assemblies? 

Held by Rich Wilson and Clare Farrell, facilitated by David Bent.

• You can watch the summary video here:

• You can watch Rich and Clare define the problem, here:

• Or you can watch the full video here (apologies we didn’t get this one right with the recording, it stayed on gallery view! But the audio is very clear):

• And we don’t know how Josh Knowles‘ does it, but his live illustration made during the dialogue is a brilliant capture of the word and spirit:

Context

People working in social movements have a cause that they often hope deliberative and participatory processes such as assemblies can help them address. But even as we have mandates in our leadership across various social movements around the issues of racism, poverty, and climate, will assemblies work well if we set the agenda for assemblies on these subjects? Can we both hold open assembly spaces and keep some focus on these specific issues?

Bearing in mind, we’ve never had a Citizens’ Assembly without an agenda, what are the questions we need to be asking ourselves around agenda setting that will lead to the best outcomes for those involved, and our wider national and international communities?

Two of the key questions are around honesty and timing.

What’s problematic is when the reality turns out to be that people are invited to deliberate on outcomes that the sponsor or authority really can’t or won’t deliver on. Assemblies cannot be fig leaves for democratic accountability for a system that is unwilling and incapable of acting on it. Which is one of the good things about locally- and community- organised assemblies, where there is legitimacy from those hosting the assembly and a willingness and understanding that outcomes will be acted on.

In terms of timing, it means being real with the issue. Listening to get into what matters to people, that’s what makes the work serious. For example, talking about climate when everyone local cares about the hospital being closed, is wrong. Of course it’s good to begin, but assembly organisers have to be in tune with what people really care about. For example, Cooperation Hull have been holding local assemblies that simply ask what’s wrong with things as they are and what should be done about it, making something very open for anyone to raise any agenda. But this is difficult with no local media or journalism keeping people informed of what’s happening in their neighbourhoods.