Reclaiming our right to power: some conditions for deliberative democracy (PLA 40)

Deliberative and inclusive processes (DIPs) are increasingly being used in the North and the South to give the historically excluded a voice in decisions. Whilst DIPs have at times been misused or abused in the rush to scale up and spread the new innovations, these approaches nevertheless offer much potential to expand the active involvement of citizens in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. But how and under what conditions can the democratic potential of these approaches and methods be enlarged to include more people and places? This paper critically reflects on these questions, offering both reformist and more radical proposals for the mainstreaming of deliberative democracy and citizen empowerment.

This article was published in PLA 40: Deliberative Democracy and Citizen Empowerment (February 2001). Participatory Learning and Action (PLA, formerly PLA Notes) is the world's leading series on participatory learning and action approaches and methods. PLA publishes articles on participation aimed at practitioners, researchers, academics, students and activists. All articles are peer-reviewed by an international editorial board.

Click on ‘More information’ to visit: www.planotes.org~Click on 'Additional information' to download the whole issue or individual articles for this issue of PLA.