Page 128 - Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections

126 A Project of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) 3Central to the open, non-leading nature of what these processes focus on is to simply ask participants “What do you need to know and who do you trust to inform you?”. This question should be posed to participants as part of their deliberations – after their first two weeks of discussion they might also be tasked with a refined version of the question – “What more do you need to know to make an informed decision?”. This question enables participants to identify information gaps present in what they have read or heard from and choose who they trust as a source of that information. Remembering that not all information requires an in-person speaker, a useful criterion is that often quantitative information can be answered specifically and in writing, while qualitative responses are better given in person and explored through questioning (though this is not a hard and fast rule). It is vital that this information is both diverse and deep. It improves their questioning of sources and ultimately saves the group time otherwise spent asking questions that could have been clarified in the pre-reading. Diversity of sources and perspectives is also crucial for the processes’political credibility.Presenting all sides of the topic and openly sharing the problem alleviates any public perception of the Government selling a result.