Lucas Henrique Nigri Veloso

Ricardo Fabrino Mendonça

Democratic innovations, vital experiences and vulnerabilities: the Global Citizen Assembly on the climate and ecological crisis

Ciência Política

Participação, Movimentos Sociais e Inovações Democráticas

23/09/2024

Prof. Dr. Ricardo Fabrino Mendonça - Orientador (DCP/UFMG)
Profa. Ph.D. Nicole Curato - Coorientadora (University of Canberra)
Profa. Drª. Anna Drake (University of Waterloo)
Profa. Drª. Sonia Bussu (University of Birmingham)
Profa. Drª. Claudia Feres Faria (DCP/UFMG)
Prof. Dr. FILIPE MENDES MOTTA (UFMG)

How do socio-political vulnerabilities shape transformative experiences in transnational digital democratic innovations? The field of democratic innovation research has expanded significantly, yet no universal formulas guarantee desired outcomes. It remains uncertain how new designs and citizen participation mechanisms, relying on digital communication technologies, can contribute effectively to democratic innovations. Thus, empirical research is essential to expand hypotheses, methods, and evaluations of concrete experiences for future comparative analyses and practical implementations. This thesis analyzes the transformative experiences emerging from the first transnational global citizen assembly implemented digitally: the Global Assembly on climate change. Given its complex design and diverse participants, understanding the challenges and innovations introduced by this assembly can provide valuable insights. Using the Grounded Theory methodology, this research reconstructs and analyzes the experiences of 38 interviewees, including organizers, collaborators, and a focused sample of 14 assembly members. These members represent diverse demographic and social markers but share significant vulnerabilities, especially in terms of access to technology and linguistic resources. Through this approach, we aim to uncover how socio-political vulnerabilities influence the transformative potential of democratic innovations. By systematically analyzing qualitative data from these interviews, we seek to build a theoretical framework that highlights the interplay between democratic participation, socio-political vulnerabilities, and the production of 'democratic goods,' ultimately providing a deeper understanding of the conditions necessary for fostering truly inclusive and impactful democratic processes in the digital age.

Citizen Assemblies, Deliberative Democracy, Democratic Innovation, Vital Experiences, Vulnerabilities