Page 208 - Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections

206 A Project of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) Ireland Ireland’s 2008 financial crash produced anger at the political systems failings. Over the course of 2011, a time when people felt adrift and disconnected from power, a group of political scientists established We the Citizens. This project resulted in Ireland’s first national citizens’ assembly in June 2011. This proved the ability of everyday Irish citizens to weigh up complex trade-off decisions and reach common ground. Immediately following We the Citizens, the Irish government established the Irish Constitutional Convention (ICC). The ICC featured 100 members (66 randomly-selected citizens, 33 national-level politicians and an independent chair appointed by the government) who met for 10 weekends over a 14-month period. The ICC’s deliberations led to a national referendum on marriage equality, with Ireland becoming the first country to endorse such a move by popular vote. The widely supported success of the ICC led to the establishment of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly (ICA). The ICA was comprised of 99 randomly- selected citizens and an independent chair. It has led to important policy outcomes and constitutional changes including the nation-wide referendum on abortion law. Ireland has demonstrated the complementary role that deliberative mini- publics can play in resolving challenging issues.