Democratising Environmental Governance We are rethinking how human institutions, practices, and principles can develop a productive relationship with the Earth system. Research Leads Jonathan Pickering Associate Professor Simon Niemeyer Professor Projects and grants Research report: Towards a coherent energy transition: expanding renewable energy and reducing inequalities in Australia Investigator(s): Jonathan Pickering and Pierrick Chalaye Read More Enhancing livelihoods from improved forest management in Nepal (EnLiFT 2) Investigator(s): Hemant Ojha Read More Deliberative Worlds: Democracy, Justice And A Changing Earth System Investigator(s): John Dryzek, Jonathan Pickering, Jensen Sass, Ana Tanasoca, Wendy Conway-Lamb, Pierrick Chalaye Read More Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Read More Great Barrier Reef Futures Citizens’ Jury Investigator(s): Claudia Benham, Simon Niemeyer and Hannah Barrowman Read More Social Adaptation to Climate Change in the Australian Public Sphere: A comparison of individual and group deliberative responses to scenarios of future climate change Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, Will Steffen, Brendan Mackey, Janette Lindesay and Kersty Hobson Read More Governing Climate Resilient Futures: gender, justice and conflict resolution in resource management Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, Hemant Ojha Read More Rethinking Climate Justice In An Age Of Adaptation: Capabilities, Local Variation, And Public Deliberation Investigator(s): David Schlosberg and Simon Niemeyer Read More Deliberative democracy and climate change: building the foundations of an adaptive system Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer Read More Key publications Democratizing Global Justice: Deliberating Global Goals Dryzek, J.S. and Tanasoca, A. 2021 , Cambridge University Press Read more The Politics of the Anthropocene John S. Dryzek, Jonathan Pickering 2019 , Oxford University Press Read more Impact Story Who’s Gonna Save Us? Citizens Assemble - Triple J podcast on climate assemblies Professor Nicole Curato of the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance was part of a panel of experts interviewed on Triple J on 4 October 2022, discussing deliberative approaches to climate solutions. Deliberative approaches to decision-making on important topics that affect everyone are being considered as viable elements to the solution for worldwide problems. An example of this was in 2019, when 150 French citizens were asked to come up with their country’s climate policy and were told that their ideas would be adopted. Said Nicole, ‘There is a strong argument to say that Democracy plays a role in crafting legitimate climate solutions. Meaning, no one…no climate scientist, no economist, no ethicist, no activist…no one has the monopoly of good ideas, and correct answers on climate issues.’ Read more The evolution of environmental politics The Politics of the Earth: Environmental Discourses has been listed in The Australian’s list of top ten scholarly books to have made the most impact this decade. The first edition was published in 1997, the second in 2005, and the third in 2013. Together, the three editions have sold about 35,000 copies worldwide. Read more

Innovating Global Governance We are advocating for meaningful global citizen deliberation on urgent and emerging global issues – from climate change to genome editing. Research Leads John S. Dryzek Distinguished Professor Emeritus Projects and grants Medical Research Future Fund Investigator(s): John Dryzek Read More Deliberative Global Governance Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Hayley Stevenson, Beibei Tang Read More Humanitarian Technologies: An Ethnographic Assessment of Communication Environments in Disaster Recovery and Humanitarian Intervention Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Read More A Metastudy of Public Deliberation: Updating Theory and Practice Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, John S. Dryzek, Nicole Curato, Andrè Bächtiger and Mark E. Warren Read More Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Read More Micropolitics of Deliberation Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer, Selen A. Ercan Read More Moral Disagreements: Philosophical and Practical Implications Investigator(s): Richard Rowland, Selen Ercan, David Killoren, and Lucy J Parry Read More Sparking a National Conversation Investigator(s): John Parkinson (Chief Investigator) and Núria Franco-Guillén (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Griffith University) Read More Participedia Investigator(s): John Dryzek, Selen Ercan and Lucy J. Parry Read More Monitoring Deliberative Integrity in Australia Investigator(s): Nicole Curato, Selen A. Ercan, John Dryzek and Simon Niemeyer Read More Technologies of Humanitarianism: An Ethnographic Assessment of Communication Environments in Disaster Recovery and Humanitarian Intervention Investigator(s): Mirca Madianou, Nicole Curato, Jonathan Corpus Ong and Jayeel Cornelio Read More Key publications Democratizing Global Justice: Deliberating Global Goals Dryzek, J.S. and Tanasoca, A. 2021 , Cambridge University Press Read more The Political Economy of Devolution in Britain from the Postwar Era to Brexit Nick Vlahos 2020 , Palgrave Read more The Oxford Handbook of Deliberative Democracy Edited by Andre Bächtiger, John S. Dryzek, Jane Mansbridge, and Mark Warren 2018 , Oxford University Press Read more Impact Story

< Back Amanda Stone Masters of Research Student About Amanda Stone is a Masters of Research student in the School of Global Governance and Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra. Her research is examining the response of local government councillors in Victoria to that state’s legislative requirement to use deliberative engagement with their communities. Amanda was a four-term councillor and two-term mayor in local government in Victoria. She received the MAV/Macarthur Local Government Fellowship to study deliberative democracy in local government in Australia, the UK, Germany and Portland Oregon in 2022. Prior to her time in local government, she was a community activist, teacher, school counsellor and school administrator.

Building Democratic Resilience We investigate the role of public deliberation in highly polarised and post-crisis contexts, working closely with governments, organisations, and communities to build democratic resilience. Research Leads Jordan McSwiney Senior Research Fellow Selen A. Ercan Professor Projects and grants Building Democratic Resilience: Public Sphere Responses to Extremism Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jordan McSwiney, John S. Dryzek, and Peter Balint Read More Building Back Better: Participatory Governance In A Post-Haiyan World Investigator(s): Nicole Curato and April Porteria Read More Strongmen of Asia: Democratic bosses and how to understand them Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Read More Communication Across Difference In A Democracy: Australian Muslims And The Mainstream Investigator(s): Bora Kanra, John Dryzek, Selen A. Ercan, Alessandra Pecci Read More Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jensen Sass, John Dryzek and Peter Balint Read More Deliberative democracy in the face of democratic crisis: Contributions, dilemmas and the ways forward Investigator(s): Ricardo F. Mendonça, Camilo Aggio, Viktor Chagas, Selen Ercan, Viviane Freitas, Filipe Motta, Rayza Sarmento, Francisco Tavares Read More Who will Bury the Dead? Community Responses in Duterte’s Bloody War on Drugs Investigator(s): Nicole Curato, Jayeel Cornelio and Filomin Candaliza-Gutierrez Read More The far-right challenge to democracy Investigator(s): Jordan McSwiney Read More Protests and Political Engagement Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Ricardo F. Mendonca, Umut Ozguc Read More Beyond Demagogues and Deplorables: Transforming populist rhetoric for participatory futures Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Read More Key publications Building Democratic Resilience: Public Sphere Responses to Violent Extremism Selen A. Ercan, Jordan McSwiney, Peter Balint, and John S. Dryzek 2022 , State of NSW, Department of Premier and Cabinet Read more Mending Democracy: Democratic Repair in Disconnected Times Carolyn M. Hendriks, Selen A. Ercan, and John Boswell 2020 , Oxford University Press Read more The Crisis of Democracy and the Science of Deliberation Dryzek, J.S., Bächtiger, A. et al 2019 , Science 363: 1144-46. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2694 Read more Democracy in a Time of Misery: From Spectacular Tragedies to Deliberative Action Nicole Curato 2019 , Oxford University Press Read more Impact Story Our research on democratic resilience informs policy and practice in New South Wales In 2022, the Centre was commissioned to undertake research for the New South Wales Government. The research report was completed in September 2022 and the launch was hosted by Australian National University’s Herbert and Valmae Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry. Panel speakers included Pia van de Zandt (Director, Connected Communities, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet), Dr Emily Corner (Senior Lecturer of Criminology, Centre for Social Research and Methods, ANU), and Dr Jordan McSwiney (Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance). Emphasising the value of our report, Pia van de Zandt said, "You and your team brought valuable comparative insights, were very collaborative and cognisant of the report’s audience. Most importantly, your research made some valuable and practical findings, for NSW to consider as it further develops its response to violent extremism. The report will help us to improve our efforts to protect our democracy and enhance the resilience of communities to shocks and threats." Read more

Current Staff Mohammad Abdul-Hwas Research Assistant View Profile John S. Dryzek Distinguished Professor Emeritus View Profile Harshith Ghanta Research Assistant View Profile Jordan McSwiney Senior Research Fellow View Profile Jonathan Pickering Associate Professor View Profile Amanda Stone Masters of Research Student View Profile Hans Asenbaum Associate Professor and Centre Director View Profile Madeleine Egan PhD Candidate View Profile Anne Nygaard Jedzini PhD Candidate View Profile Olivia Mendoza PhD Candidate View Profile Ferdinand Sanchez Research Assistant View Profile Adele Webb Research Fellow View Profile Elise Clark PhD student View Profile Selen A. Ercan Professor View Profile Friedel Marquardt Research Assistant View Profile Simon Niemeyer Professor View Profile Emanuela Savini Practice Lead & Lecturer View Profile Dakila Yee PhD Student View Profile Wendy Conway-Lamb Postdoctoral research fellow View Profile Emily Foley Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Amy McGregor-Dainton PhD Candidate View Profile Lucy J. Parry Senior Research Associate View Profile Sahana Sehgal PhD Candidate View Profile

Deepening Citizen Engagement We are developing innovative ways of connecting the voices of ordinary citizens to political decision-making through participatory and deliberative approaches to citizen engagement. Research Leads Adele Webb Research Fellow Projects and grants Deliberative Democracy Toolkit (NSW) Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jordan McSwiney, Lucy Parry, Nicole Curato, Hans Asenbaum, Adele Webb, Emanuela Savini and Justin McCaul Read More Monitoring Deliberative Integrity in Australia Investigator(s): Nicole Curato, Selen A. Ercan, John Dryzek and Simon Niemeyer Read More Deliberation in Schools Investigator(s): Pierrick Chalaye and Kei Nishiyama, together with the Centre’s Associate Wendy Russel Read More Connecting to Parliament: Creating authentic engagement between citizens and their elected representatives Investigator(s): Adele Webb, Nardine Alnemr, Selen Ercan, John Dryzek, Michael Neblo, Hans Asenbaum Read More Global Citizen Deliberation: Analysing a Deliberative Documentary Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer, Nicole Curato Read More Sparking a National Conversation Investigator(s): John Parkinson (Chief Investigator) and Núria Franco-Guillén (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Griffith University) Read More Creating And Analysing A Citizens' Parliament: Exploring The Public's Deliberative Capacity Investigator(s): John Dryzek, Lyn Carson, Simon Niemeyer, Janette Hartz-Karp, Ian Marsh, Luca Belgiorno-Nettis, Luisa Batalha, Nicole Curato Read More Genome Editing: Formulating an Australian Community Response Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek Read More Key publications Deliberative Minipublics: Core Design Features Curato, N., Farrell D., Geißel, B., Grönlund, K., Mockler, P., Renwick, A., Rose, J., Setälä, M. and Suiter, J. 2021 , Bristol Policy Press Read more Assessing the poor’s deliberative agency in media-saturated societies Nicole Curato 2020 , Theory and Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-020-09421-1 Read more Impact Story Connected to Parliament shaped Andrew Leigh MP’s conscience vote on mitochondrial donation. In September 2020, our Centre organised one face-to-face and one online townhall with the Federal MP, Andrew Leigh on the issue of mitochondrial donation. This was the inaugural online and in-person townhall for our Connecting to Parliament project, which engaged with the constituents of Fenner in Canberra’s northern and western suburbs. Andrew Leigh MP declared that his conscience vote on mitochondrial donation will be guided by the conversations that unfolded in these townhalls. Speaking on 2CC Canberra on 30 September that year. When asked if he found the process useful, he responded: "Incredibly useful. We're working with folks at Ohio State University and the University of Canberra, who are among the best in the world of deliberative democracy. I was struck not only by their expertise, but also the expertise of people in the room. I learned an awful lot about genetic disorders and about ethics just from listening to people who were there. So I'm reminded again and again what a privilege it is to represent the Canberra northside in the federal parliament. A lot of very smart and very wise people, and that really comes out in a deliberative democracy event." To find out more visit: https://connect2parliament.com/ or Read more

Advancing Theory and Methods We provide intellectual leadership in advancing theoretical debates and methodological innovations in deliberative democracy. Research Leads Hans Asenbaum Associate Professor and Centre Director Simon Niemeyer Professor Projects and grants Deliberative Democracy in the Public Sphere: Achieving Deliberative Outcomes in Mass Publics Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, John Dryzek, Robert Goodin, Andrè Bächtiger, Maija Setålå, Julia Jennstål, Nicole Curato Read More The Deliberative Citizen: Who deliberates, when, why and how? Investigator(s): Julia Jennstål and Simon Niemeyer Read More A Metastudy of Public Deliberation: Updating Theory and Practice Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, John S. Dryzek, Nicole Curato, Andrè Bächtiger and Mark E. Warren Read More A Metastudy of Democratic Deliberation: Updating Theory and Practice Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, John S. Dryzek, Nicole Curato, Andrè Bächtiger, Marina Lindell, Mark E. Warren, Hannah Barrowman, Francesco Veri, Nardine Alnemr Read More Understanding and Evaluating Deliberative Systems Investigator(s): André Bächtiger, Nicole Curato, John Dryzek, Selen A. Ercan, Eda Keremoglu-Waibler, Simon Niemeyer and Kei Nishiyama Read More Realising Democracy Amid Communicative Plenty: A Deliberative Systems Approach Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Selen Ercan, Paul Fawcett, Carolyn Hendriks and Michael Jensen Read More Technologies of Humanitarianism: An Ethnographic Assessment of Communication Environments in Disaster Recovery and Humanitarian Intervention Investigator(s): Mirca Madianou, Nicole Curato, Jonathan Corpus Ong and Jayeel Cornelio Read More The Theory and Practice of Deliberative Democracy Investigator(s): John Dryzek and Robert Goodin Read More Key publications Research Methods in Deliberative Democracy Selen A. Ercan, Hans Asenbaum, Nicole Curato, Ricardo F. Mendonca 2022 , Oxford University Press Read more The Oxford Handbook of Deliberative Democracy Edited by Andre Bächtiger, John S. Dryzek, Jane Mansbridge, and Mark Warren 2018 , Oxford University Press Read more Impact Story

Our Projects The National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy Project Team: Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum, Prof Selen Ercan Read More Robots in the Room Project Team: Hans Asenbaum, Damith Herath, Janie Busby Grant, Maleen Jayasuriya, Emanuela Savini, Harshith Ghanta, Friedel Marquardt, Isabella Roberts Read More Multiculturalism and Belonging in Australian Democracy Project Team: Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance Read More Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks Project Team: Selen A. Ercan, Jensen Sass, John Dryzek and Peter Balint Read More Complex Issues and Democracy: Political Dilemmas of Artificial Intelligence and Genome Editing Project Team: Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, Prof Nicole Curato, Prof Selen Ercan, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum Read More University Voice Panel for UC’s Social Cohesion Action Plan Project Team: Dr Emanuela Savini and Olive Mendoza Read More Deliberative Engagement in Action Masterclass Series Project Team: Centre for Deliberative Democracy Read More Building Back Better: Participatory Governance In A Post-Haiyan World Project Team: Nicole Curato and April Porteria Read More Deliberation Game – Australia Edition Project Team: Prof Selen Ercan, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum, Dr Bernard Brown, Prof Rousiley Maia, Dr Julia Ester de Paula, Thales Antonelli, Dr Friedel Marquardt, Harshith Ghana Read More Democracy Reimagined: Advancing Democratic Resilience and Renewal Project Team: Centre for Deliberative Democracy Read More Deliberative Democracy Toolkit (NSW) Project Team: Selen A. Ercan, Jordan McSwiney, Lucy Parry, Nicole Curato, Hans Asenbaum, Adele Webb, Emanuela Savini and Justin McCaul Read More Deliberative democracy in the face of democratic crisis: Contributions, dilemmas and the ways forward Project Team: Ricardo F. Mendonça, Camilo Aggio, Viktor Chagas, Selen Ercan, Viviane Freitas, Filipe Motta, Rayza Sarmento, Francisco Tavares Read More 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

Dr Emanuela Savini and Olive Mendoza < Back University Voice Panel for UC’s Social Cohesion Action Plan Project Team: Dr Emanuela Savini and Olive Mendoza The University Voice Panel brought together students, academic and professional staff, and partner organisations across four sessions between March and April 2026. It considered: How can the University of Canberra become a place where everyone feels they belong, can express who they are, and connect safely across difference? The Panel developed a collective statement of what social cohesion means at UC, along with four recommendations encompassing fifteen actions, which were handed to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. The Social Cohesion Action Plan has since been endorsed by the Vice-Chancellor and University Executive and is now being implemented. The process was informed by university-wide consultation, including a survey of 225 students, staff and community members. Findings from that consultation are set out in the [Panel Background Report] , alongside the evidence base that framed the Panel's deliberations. The [Project Report] documents the full process, its outcomes and its learnings. What participants said Post-deliberation survey data showed 74% of Panel members found the process collaborative, genuine and worthwhile - up from 24% who said the same of UC's past engagement activities. Ninety per cent reported a high level of knowledge about social cohesion by the end of the process, and 60% expected to be more involved in University decisions that affect them as a result of the experience - up from the 36% who reported feeling involved beforehand. Panel members reflected that they had rarely had the opportunity to engage with such a broad cross-section of the University community, and that the process was itself an experience of social cohesion in action. What is next? The Centre is continuing to develop deliberative practice connected to social cohesion, including further research emerging from this project. If you are interested in this work, or in applying deliberative approaches in your own setting, please get in touch with Dr Emanuela Savini, Practice Lead, Centre for Deliberative Democracy at Emanuela.Savini@canberra.edu.au . Interested in Deliberative Engagement? Deliberative engagement is a participatory approach that brings people together to thoughtfully explore complex questions, learn from diverse perspectives, and collectively develop solutions. Rather than simply gathering individual opinions, it creates conditions for meaningful dialogue where participants can grapple with nuance, consider trade-offs, and build shared understanding across difference. You can find out more about this form of engagement in our [Guidebook] and explore our [Masterclasses] to deepen your understanding of deliberative practice. Acknowledgement We extend o ur deep gratitude to MosaicLab for supporting this project through their charitable giving. Their partnership has enabled us to design a deliberative process worthy of the complex questions at the heart of social cohesion.

Our Grant and Prizes Australian Research Council Grants National Grants International Grants Deliberative Democracy in the Public Sphere: Achieving Deliberative Outcomes in Mass Publics Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, John Dryzek, Robert Goodin, Andrè Bächtiger, Maija Setålå, Julia Jennstål, Nicole Curato Funded by: Discovery Project (DP120103976) ($340,357) Deliberative Global Governance Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Hayley Stevenson, Beibei Tang Funded by: Federation Fellowship (FF0883522) ($1,638,730) Communication Across Difference In A Democracy: Australian Muslims And The Mainstream Investigator(s): Bora Kanra, John Dryzek, Selen A. Ercan, Alessandra Pecci Funded by: Discovery Project ($269,000) Deliberative Worlds: Democracy, Justice And A Changing Earth System Investigator(s): John Dryzek, Jonathan Pickering, Jensen Sass, Ana Tanasoca, Wendy Conway-Lamb, Pierrick Chalaye Funded by: Laureate Fellowship (FL140100154) ($2,616,265) Building Back Better: Participatory Governance In A Post-Haiyan World Investigator(s): Nicole Curato and April Porteria Funded by: Discovery Early Career Research Award (DE150101866) ($324,557) Monitoring Deliberative Integrity in Australia Investigator(s): Nicole Curato, Selen A. Ercan, John Dryzek and Simon Niemeyer Funded by: Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative Global Citizen Deliberation: Analysing a Deliberative Documentary Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer, Nicole Curato Funded by: Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jensen Sass, John Dryzek and Peter Balint Funded by: Funded by Australian Research Council’s (ARC) 2021 Discovery Project Scheme Genome Editing: Formulating an Australian Community Response Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek Funded by: The Theory and Practice of Deliberative Democracy Investigator(s): John Dryzek and Robert Goodin Funded by: Discovery Project (DP0342795) ($223,547) Social Adaptation to Climate Change in the Australian Public Sphere: A comparison of individual and group deliberative responses to scenarios of future climate change Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, Will Steffen, Brendan Mackey, Janette Lindesay and Kersty Hobson Funded by: Deliberative democracy and climate change: building the foundations of an adaptive system Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer Funded by: Future Fellowship (FT110100871) ($629,090) 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2 Deliberative Democracy Toolkit (NSW) Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jordan McSwiney, Lucy Parry, Nicole Curato, Hans Asenbaum, Adele Webb, Emanuela Savini and Justin McCaul Funded by: Premier’s Department, New South Wales Government Building Democratic Resilience: Public Sphere Responses to Extremism Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jordan McSwiney, John S. Dryzek, and Peter Balint Funded by: NSW Government, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Program 2022 Medical Research Future Fund Investigator(s): John Dryzek Funded by: Genomic Health Futures Mission Grant (2020-2022) Genome Editing: Formulating an Australian Community Response Moral Disagreements: Philosophical and Practical Implications Investigator(s): Richard Rowland, Selen Ercan, David Killoren, and Lucy J Parry Funded by: Australian Catholic University Who will Bury the Dead? Community Responses in Duterte’s Bloody War on Drugs Investigator(s): Nicole Curato, Jayeel Cornelio and Filomin Candaliza-Gutierrez Funded by: ANU-DFAT Philippines Project Small Research Grant Deliberation in Schools Investigator(s): Pierrick Chalaye and Kei Nishiyama, together with the Centre’s Associate Wendy Russel Funded by: The International Association for Public Participation 1 1 ... 1 ... 1 Research report: Towards a coherent energy transition: expanding renewable energy and reducing inequalities in Australia Investigator(s): Jonathan Pickering and Pierrick Chalaye Funded by: Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (Formas) Strongmen of Asia: Democratic bosses and how to understand them Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Funded by: The Norwegian Research Council (AU$1.8M via University of Oslo). Humanitarian Technologies: An Ethnographic Assessment of Communication Environments in Disaster Recovery and Humanitarian Intervention Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Funded by: Practicing and Visualising Democratic Disagreements in the Classroom Investigator(s): Kei Nishiyama Funded by: The Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education Technologies of Humanitarianism: An Ethnographic Assessment of Communication Environments in Disaster Recovery and Humanitarian Intervention Investigator(s): Mirca Madianou, Nicole Curato, Jonathan Corpus Ong and Jayeel Cornelio Funded by: The Economic and Social Research Council Urgency Grant (UK). The Deliberative Citizen: Who deliberates, when, why and how? Investigator(s): Julia Jennstål and Simon Niemeyer Funded by: Understanding and Evaluating Deliberative Systems Investigator(s): André Bächtiger, Nicole Curato, John Dryzek, Selen A. Ercan, Eda Keremoglu-Waibler, Simon Niemeyer and Kei Nishiyama Funded by: DAAD/German Academic Exchange Service and Universities Australia Beyond Demagogues and Deplorables: Transforming populist rhetoric for participatory futures Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Funded by: Toyota Foundation Research Grant Program 2017 ($20,270) Deliberative democracy in the face of democratic crisis: Contributions, dilemmas and the ways forward Investigator(s): Ricardo F. Mendonça, Camilo Aggio, Viktor Chagas, Selen Ercan, Viviane Freitas, Filipe Motta, Rayza Sarmento, Francisco Tavares Funded by: Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development 1 1 ... 1 ... 1

Past Projects The Centre for Deliberative Democracy has undertaken multiple projects covering a wide range of topics, from local to global democracy, from institutional politics to social movements, and on issues ranging from climate change, natural disasters to far-right extremism in Australia and around the world. Research report: Towards a coherent energy transition: expanding renewable energy and reducing inequalities in Australia Investigator(s): Jonathan Pickering and Pierrick Chalaye Read More Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis Investigator(s): Nicole Curato Read More Connecting to Parliament: Creating authentic engagement between citizens and their elected representatives Investigator(s): Adele Webb, Nardine Alnemr, Selen Ercan, John Dryzek, Michael Neblo, Hans Asenbaum Read More Micropolitics of Deliberation Investigator(s): John S. Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer, Selen A. Ercan Read More Medical Research Future Fund Investigator(s): John Dryzek Read More Governing Climate Resilient Futures: gender, justice and conflict resolution in resource management Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, Hemant Ojha Read More Creating And Analysing A Citizens' Parliament: Exploring The Public's Deliberative Capacity Investigator(s): John Dryzek, Lyn Carson, Simon Niemeyer, Janette Hartz-Karp, Ian Marsh, Luca Belgiorno-Nettis, Luisa Batalha, Nicole Curato Read More Rethinking Climate Justice In An Age Of Adaptation: Capabilities, Local Variation, And Public Deliberation Investigator(s): David Schlosberg and Simon Niemeyer Read More Deliberative Democracy in the Public Sphere: Achieving Deliberative Outcomes in Mass Publics Investigator(s): Simon Niemeyer, John Dryzek, Robert Goodin, Andrè Bächtiger, Maija Setålå, Julia Jennstål, Nicole Curato Read More Great Barrier Reef Futures Citizens’ Jury Investigator(s): Claudia Benham, Simon Niemeyer and Hannah Barrowman Read More Communication Across Difference In A Democracy: Australian Muslims And The Mainstream Investigator(s): Bora Kanra, John Dryzek, Selen A. Ercan, Alessandra Pecci Read More Deliberative Worlds: Democracy, Justice And A Changing Earth System Investigator(s): John Dryzek, Jonathan Pickering, Jensen Sass, Ana Tanasoca, Wendy Conway-Lamb, Pierrick Chalaye Read More 1 2 3 1 ... 1 2 3 ... 3

The Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance (CDDGG) is the world-leading centre for scholarly and applied research in deliberative governance. Our fields of expertise are diverse, but we advance a common research agenda that examines how deliberation – inclusive, reasonable, and reflective communication – can empower people to shape political decisions that affect their lives. Research Repository Our Projects The National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy Project Team: Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum, Prof Selen Ercan Read more Deliberation Game – Australia Edition Project Team: Prof Selen Ercan, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum, Dr Bernard Brown, Prof Rousiley Maia, Dr Julia Ester de Paula, Thales Antonelli, Dr Friedel Marquardt, Harshith Ghana Read more Complex Issues and Democracy: Political Dilemmas of Artificial Intelligence and Genome Editing Project Team: Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, Prof Nicole Curato, Prof Selen Ercan, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum Read more Robots in the Room Project Team: Hans Asenbaum, Damith Herath, Janie Busby Grant, Maleen Jayasuriya, Emanuela Savini, Harshith Ghanta, Friedel Marquardt, Isabella Roberts Read more Our Research View More Seminar Series Sign in Seminar Series Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Critical Geopolitics: Why and How Combine Strategic Empathy and Public Deliberation? 34:14 Play Video Now Playing Reimagining Representation Through the More-Than-Human 01:25:23 Play Video Now Playing Enhancing democracy through creative practices 01:00:36 Play Video Now Playing Democratic Innovation or Expensive Boondoggle? The value of mini-publics in theory and practice 42:30 Play Video Now Playing Transforming Public Input into Policy Impact 44:22 Play Video Now Playing Expanding the demos: how do non-humans have political agency? 45:24 Play Video Now Playing Dear ChatGPT, what is Democracy? 35:17 Play Video Now Playing In democratic practice, does research matter? 35:13 Play Video Our Working Paper Series Makes preliminary findings of research on deliberative democracy publicly available in advance of publication in journals and books. View More Our researchers Our Digital Content Digital Content We have a growing offering of videos and podcasts to celebrate the work of our colleagues around the world in areas that speak to our Centre’s research. New books on Democracy Our New Books on Democracy series features interviews with leading scholars about their published works. Read More The CDDGG 10th Anniversary Series In celebration of the Centre's 10th anniversary at the University of Canberra, we are organising a seminar series that is open to all, addressing 10 of the most pressing questions facing deliberate democracy today. Read More Seminar Series The Centre holds weekly seminars on important topics with leading scholars from Australia and around the world. Read More Our Archives Archives Seminars Projects Publications News Contact Us Centre for Deliberative Democracy Ann Harding Conference Centre (Building 24) University Drive South, University of Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia Email Address: delibdem@canberra.edu.au

< Back Hemant Ojha Adjunct Professor About Professor Hemant Ojha is an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra. He is an environmental social scientist whose work examines the politics and practice of environmental governance, with a particular focus on power, deliberation, social learning, climate resilience and locally led development. His scholarship explores how diverse actors, from communities and civil society organisations to governments and international institutions, negotiate knowledge, authority and resources in contested settings of environmental governance and sustainability transitions. Drawing on deliberative governance, critical social science and action research, his work shows how community empowerment, critical deliberative practices, and institutional innovation can help address entrenched power asymmetries and support more democratic forms of decision-making and democratic accountability. A central feature of Professor Ojha’s work is his commitment to critical action research as a pathway to practical and systemic change. His recent research focuses on amplifying marginalised local voices in national and global debates on climate policy, adaptation and finance. Through collaborative research partnerships, he examines how community-based knowledge, Indigenous knowledge systems and scientific expertise can be brought together to inform more inclusive and accountable policy processes. Adjunct Professor Ojha has more than two decades of research, teaching and advisory experience across South Asia and the Pacific. He has led multi-country research consortia, advised international development organisations,and contributed to policy and practice in natural resource governance, climate adaptation and rural development. He is a co-founder of ForestAction Nepal (2000) and the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (2011). He works with the Australian National University, leading research projects on water, climate and livelihoods in Nepal and Pakistan. He also serves as Principal Advisor to the Institute for Study and Development Worldwide, providing strategic advice on how knowledge co-creation can lead to inclusive outcomes. Research Interests Power, deliberation and governance: Examining how power relations shape public deliberation, institutional change and natural resource governance. Inclusive climate policy and finance: Analysing how global climate policy and finance can better respond to local priorities, vulnerabilities and capacities. Critical action research and epistemic justice: Using collaborative and action-oriented research to strengthen local voice, knowledge equity and policy learning. Knowledge co-production in environmental crises: Developing collaborative approaches that connect technical expertise with community-led adaptation and resilience strategies.

Adjunct Professors Ron Brent Adjunct Professor View Profile Hendrik Wagenaar Adjunct Professor View Profile Nicole Curato Adjunct Professor View Profile Ricardo Mendonca Adjunct Professor View Profile Hemant Ojha Adjunct Professor View Profile

Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, Prof Nicole Curato, Prof Selen Ercan, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum < Back Complex Issues and Democracy: Political Dilemmas of Artificial Intelligence and Genome Editing Project Team: Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, Prof Nicole Curato, Prof Selen Ercan, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum Funded by the CNPq – National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Brazil). This project examines the relationship between complex issues and democracy, focusing on the challenges that emerging technologies pose to democratic governance. Complex issues often remain difficult for citizens to fully understand, which can reinforce technocratic and expert-driven forms of decision-making. At the same time, they reshape social and political life by transforming how people interact, deliberate, experience inequalities, and respond to fundamental questions of collective wellbeing and survival. The scale and urgency of these challenges can also create pressures for more authoritarian forms of governance, given the time, uncertainty, and contestation inherent in democratic decision-making. The project focuses on two contemporary issues with far-reaching political implications: artificial intelligence and genome editing. It examines efforts to democratise decision-making in these areas, with particular attention to civil society mobilisation, regulatory debates, individual and collective forms of resistance, and participatory initiatives that open expert knowledge to public scrutiny and citizen deliberation. The research is organised around three interconnected strands. First, it analyses parliamentary debates, including legislation, bills under consideration, and public hearings on artificial intelligence and genome editing. Second, it maps the public agenda by examining debates across the news media and digital public sphere. Third, it identifies and analyses democratic innovations and other political initiatives that seek to broaden public participation in decisions about these technologies. The project is led by Professor Ricardo F. Mendonça (Department of Political Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy, University of Canberra). It brings together 15 researchers from five Brazilian universities—MARGEM/UFMG, UNILA, UFG, UFPA, and UFPE—and is developed in close collaboration with the Centre for Deliberative Democracy through the work of Professor Selen Ercan, Associate Professor Hans Asenbaum, and Centre’s Adjunct Professor Nicole Curato.

Adjunct Professor < Back John Parkinson Adjunct Professor About John Parkinson is Professor of Social and Political Philosophy at Maastricht University. He is one of the originators of the deliberative systems approach. His current work is on communicative norms and practices in the digital public sphere.

Former Staff Ana Tanasoca Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Nicole Curato Professor View Profile Nitya Reddy Research Intern View Profile Hannah Barrowman Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Sonya Duus Research Fellow View Profile Juliana Rocha Research Assistant View Profile Atosha Birongo Research Intern View Profile Alessandra Pecci Research Assistant View Profile Elaine Dos Santos Research Assistant View Profile Quinlan Bowman Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Hedda Ransan-Cooper Research Fellow View Profile Jensen Sass Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2

Adjunct Professor < Back Vicky Darling Adjunct Professor About Vicky Darling specialises in community engagement and civic participation, strategic planning and governance advice. She also has expertise in change management, workplace culture and research and policy design.

Adjunct Professor < Back Peter Bridgewater Adjunct Professor About Peter Bridgewater is an expert in environmental science and management. His expertise spans conservation and biodiversity, natural resource management , ecology, wildlife and habitat management, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental knowledge. His expertise in public and environmental policy has been sought in internationally.

< Back Hendrik Wagenaar Adjunct Professor About Hendrik Wagenaar is internationally renowned for his research on participatory democracy and local governance, practice theory and interpretive policy analysis, including projects on urban governance, prostitution policy, social welfare, policy implementation and the (unintended) consequences of public policy making.