Empowering communities through deliberative democracy 

Our Koi Tū deputy director Anne Bardsley and associate director Kristiann Allen were invited by Te Weu Charitable Trust and the Gisborne District Council recently to share how deliberative democracy can be used to facilitate community collaboration in climate adaptation and  resilience planning.

During their visit, they sat down with Shannon Dowsing from Exchange Café and Harley Dibble from Te Weu.

In this video, Anne and Kristiann discuss how deliberative democracy differs from typical public consultations by bringing people with many different perspectives into a dialogue to discuss all the evidence, weigh the options and trade-offs, and find common ground about the way forward. 

Anne explains how deliberative democracy is based on four core principles. It must be inclusive and representative, informed by expertise and diverse perspectives, allow time to think and learn, and be working towards consensus.

Kristiann says choosing deliberative approaches is not a “pick it off the shelf” exercise, rather it’s about working with communities to understand their needs. 

Watch the full video here: