Want to learn more about Citizen’s Assemblies?
Join an upcoming event!
We want to inform you of several upcoming dates and events on our calendar.
INFO SESSIONS for the Washington State Climate Assembly
Coming up, we are organizing two different info sessions for stakeholders about the Citizen’s Assembly on Climate.
WHEN: Thursday, July 9th at 10-11 AM AND Monday, July 13th at 10-11 AM
Marcin Gerwin, Phd, and Rebecca Willis, Phd, members of our advisory team, will be giving a short presentation over zoom about what the Citizen’s Assembly is, how it works. Johanna Lundahl and Michael Foster, organizers for Climate Assembly Washington, will discuss how different groups can get involved in shaping the question/ focus of the Citizen’s Assembly.
Please join us to learn about the Citizen’s Assembly process, and how it can improve the democratic processes of our state.
We need to include communities at the frontlines of environmental and economic change in the planning this Citizen’s Assembly. Please help us share this invite with stakeholders in your regions who would like to shape the conversation around future climate legislation. Particularly anyone in the leadership of organizations focused on sustainability, environmental justice, environmental racism, indigenous and frontline communities, labor unions, communities of color, or business.
Please RSVP at info@climateassembly.us if you wish to attend either info session. We’re happy to set up individual info sessions if these dates don’t work for anyone.
JOIN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION
Personal and Political Power – Citizen’s Assemblies on Climate
WHEN: July 21st 9-10:30 AM
Attend a webinar event hosted by the Citizen’s Climate Lobby in DC, exploring the use history of Citizen’s Assemblies across Europe, and the possibilities that Citizen’s Assemblies can provide in the United States.
They will be discussing how effective Citizens’ Assemblies can be in creating momentum for policy, how different political systems absorb the impact of Citizens’ Assemblies, and how this method could be used to break through the political deadlock on climate policy around the United States.
Rebecca Leber, an environmental Politics and Policy Reporter from Mother Jones will moderate a discussion between several experts and practitioners of deliberative democracy.
The speakers will include:
Graham Smith – Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Westminster and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies.
Rebecca Willis – Professor in Practice at Lancaster Environment Centre, and Expert Lead for Climate Assembly UK.
Claire Mellier-Wilson – Accredited researcher observing the French Climate Change Convention and facilitator for Citizens’ Assemblies on the climate crisis and air quality in Camden and Kingston.
Linn Davis – Program Manager for Citizens’ Initiative Review program at Healthy Democracy in Portland, Oregon.
Link for registration below:
This event is not focused strictly on the organizing of the Citizen’s Assembly in Washington State, but aimed at a national audience, to introduce Citizen’s Assemblies as a tool to break the political gridlock around Climate Policy in other regions around the country. Though, Climate Assembly WA as well as a group in New York City called City Atlas, (also affiliated with Extinction Rebellion NY) will speak briefly about our individual groups’ organizing for Citizen’s Assembly projects at the end of the webinar.
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP
In late July (exact date TBD), we will organize a 2-hour facilitated stakeholder workshop via Zoom, inviting representatives from stakeholder organizations to attend. At this workshop, stakeholders from across the State will discuss and decide what the question at the heart of the Citizen’s Assembly on Climate will be.
The question at the heart of the UK Climate Assembly was, “How can we get to net-zero by 2050?” whereas the question at the heart of the French Assembly on Climate was “How to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in France by at least 40% (in relations to 1990’s levels) by 2030, in the spirit of social justice?”
Each question’s specific focus determines the design of the whole event. The question sets the goal of the deliberation. Whether Washington focuses it’s Citizen’s Assembly on climate-resilient communities, air quality, public transportation, agricultural sustainability, forest conservation, or on specific emission reduction targets will be determined at the upcoming workshop of stakeholders.
Therefore, it is important that we include the most affected communities in this design stage.
Are you a stakeholder? You are invited to this workshop! Please attend an info session, or connect further for the details, and if you are interested in shaping the focus of the Citizen’s Assembly.
Please contact info@climateassembly.us if you wish to contribute to the stakeholder workshop.
We are happy to discuss any questions you have about the process as we move forward.
In solidarity,
Johanna
Johanna Lundahl
She/Her
+1 541-760-9634
“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope.” – Wangari Maathai