Issues of sustainability are top of mind for officials at public institutions and governments. But how does an institution develop policies and then integrate them into their procedures and how does government establish initiatives that reflect a community’s values? Lorelei Hanson and the contributors to our latest book, Public Deliberation on Climate Change, argue that public deliberation is one of the most effective tools for advancing conversations on difficult issues and informing decision makers about possible paths forward.
At the launch for Public Deliberation on Climate Change, we heard from city councillors, citizens, researchers, and public deliberation professionals about how governments and institutions can best engage with th
e communities they serve. Lorelei Hanson, editor of Public Deliberation on Climate Change, spoke about the importance of providing citizens with “ample opportunity to have a say on issues that impact their lives.” She noted that “the recognition that citizens have both rights and responsibilities is essential to policy making and the design of public services.”
Dialogue and deliberation can serve many purposes including but not limited to: resolving conflicts, bridging divides, building understanding and knowledge about complex issues, generating innovative solutions, inspiring collective or individual action, reaching agreement on recommendations about policy decisions, and building civic capacity.
The roundtable discussion at the book launch focused on the Citizens’ Panel on Edmonton’s Energy and Climate Challenges—an initiative that was part of a five-year public deliberation project called Alberta Climate Dialogue (ABCD), which brought Albertans together at four public deliberations on the topic of climate change. The roundtable featured David Kahane (ABCD project lead), Jim Andrais (City of Edmonton lead for the Citizens’ Panel), Christine Tucker (citizen panelist), Mary Pat MacKinnon (Citizens’ Panel facilitator), and Michael Walters (City of Edmonton councillor). They shared their experience of the Citizens’ Panel. In this three-part series that reflects conversations had at the launch and explored in the book, we will feature the successes, lessons, and a few answers to relevant FAQs. Follow along at the links below.
