Search Results

Seminar Series Join us in a conversation between leading researchers and practitioners working to strengthen democracy in Australia and beyond.  Each session will feature a conversation and exchange between academic insights and practical experience, exploring innovative ideas, strategies, and solutions for addressing the challenges facing democracies today. The series aims to showcase the latest research insights and inspire practical approaches to strengthening democracy. Hosted by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, this monthly hybrid seminar series is designed for both professionals and academics working in the fields of democracy and citizen engagement. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how research can enhance democratic practice and vice versa, while exploring current challenges that could benefit from further academic inquiry. All seminars will be recorded and made available on Centre’s YouTube Channel. To receive seminar updates, please join our mailing list by emailing us at delibdem@canberra.edu.au Our upcoming session: Enhancing democracy through creative practices Tuesday 11 November, 7pm - 8pm, online As the final seminar in our series, this session takes a more playful and imaginative turn. Dr Emanuela Savini , Practice Lead at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy teams up with Olivier Schulbaum and Nadia Nadesan from Platoniq who are joining us from Spain. Platoniq’s work bridges technology, participation, and collective creativity, pushing the boundaries of how citizens can co-design democratic futures. Together, they’ll lead an interactive session exploring how creative practices can open up new ways of thinking about democracy - you can expect to be part of something interactive, reflective, and a little unexpected. Don’t miss this one — it promises to end the series on a creative high. Register here Next in the series Missed a session? Below, you can watch our recorded seminars, including those hosted and co-hosted by the Centre since April 2020. To access past seminars, please visit our archives . If you have any questions about the seminar series, please contact our Seminar Coordinator, Ferdinand Sanchez II at ferdinand.sanchez@canberra.edu.au . Recorded Seminars Play Video Play Video Transforming Public Input into Policy Impact Play Video Play Video Expanding the demos: how do non-humans have political agency? Play Video Play Video Dear ChatGPT, what is Democracy? Play Video Play Video In democratic practice, does research matter? Play Video Play Video Tackling mis- and disinformation in democracy: A research-practice exchange Play Video Play Video How deliberative is Australian democracy? Play Video Play Video What can deliberative democracy learn from social movements? Play Video Play Video How can we build a global deliberative democracy? Play Video Play Video How can deliberative democracy challenge macho populism? Play Video Play Video How should deliberative democracy respond to extremism? Play Video Play Video Are everyday citizens competent deliberators? Play Video Play Video Does deliberative democracy stand a chance in neoliberal times? Play Video Play Video Are mini-publics enough to promote deliberative democracy? Play Video Play Video Can deliberative democracy take root in settler colonial states? Play Video Play Video How can deliberative democracy listen to nonhumans? Load More Participedia Seminars PAST SEMINARS Past Seminars

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 Senior Research Fellow 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

Current Staff Harshith Ghanta View Profile Elise Clark Honours Student View Profile Selen A. Ercan Professor and Centre Director View Profile Amy McGregor-Dainton PhD Candidate View Profile Lucy J. Parry Senior Research Associate View Profile Sahana Sehgal PhD Candidate View Profile Dakila Yee PhD Student View Profile Mohammad Abdul-Hwas Research Assistant View Profile Wendy Conway-Lamb PhD Candidate View Profile Emily Foley Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Jordan McSwiney Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Jonathan Pickering Associate Professor View Profile Temple Uwalaka Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Hali Aprimadya Visiting Fellow View Profile John S. Dryzek Distinguished Professor 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 Hans Asenbaum Senior Research Fellow View Profile Madeleine Egan PhD Candidate View Profile Friedel Marquardt Research Assistant View Profile Simon Niemeyer Professor View Profile Emanuela Savini Practice Lead & Lecturer View Profile Micaela Wolf Honours Student View Profile

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 Postdoctoral Research Fellow Selen A. Ercan Professor and Centre Director 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

< Back Harshith Ghanta Research Assistant About Harshith Ghanta is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra. He is currently pursuing a Master of Information Technology and Systems, specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Originally from India, Harshith holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering and is a former national medalist in roller skating. He is passionate about community engagement and volunteers actively on campus. Harshith also founded the UC International Club to foster cultural exchange and inclusivity among students. He enjoys exploring diverse perspectives and approaching challenges with creativity and openness.

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 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

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 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

< Back Micaela Wolf Honours Student About Micaela is an Honours Student at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. She is dedicated to understanding and strengthening democratic resilience in an era of political polarisation. Her research focuses on the interplay between media, democracy, and extremist ideologies in contemporary Australia. She examines the role of alternative media reporting in amplifying exclusionary politics and ideologies while exploring the importance of media literacy in upholding democratic values against manipulated information. Before commencing her Honours, Micaela completed a Bachelor of Politics and International Relations with a Specialist Major in International Relations and National Security at the University of Canberra. This background, combined with her diverse professional experience across NGO campaigning, renewable energy advocacy, and business development, gives Micaela a unique perspective on the challenges facing modern democracies. Micaela’s research interests stem from her commitment to healthy democracy and positive social change. She is especially interested in the delicate balance between upholding free speech and addressing the challenges of extremist rhetoric in democratic societies. Ultimately, Micaela seeks to help rebuild trust in democratic institutions and inspire better public dialogue. Honours Supervisor Jordan McSwiney

< Back Dakila Yee PhD Student About Dakila Kim Yee is currently a PhD student at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, Faculty of Business Government and Law at the University of Canberra, Australia. He has a decade of teaching and research experience in the academic setting in the Philippines and has managed research projects in the Philippines funded by national and international funding agencies. His previous research explored various themes such as the urban political ecology of disaster reconstruction in the Philippines after typhoon Haiyan, critical environmental conservation studies and state-civil society relationship on environmental issues in the Philippines. His research has been published in the following journals: Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, Journal of Sociology, Critical Asian Studies and Peace Review . Beyond his academic experience, Dakila has been engaged in the practice of participatory and deliberative democracy. He has served as facilitator for different extension programs with local communities and non-government organizations and has recently been a part of two citizen assemblies conducted in the Philippines. Dissertation My tentative title for the dissertation is entitled “Discourse of Sustainability Transitions under Populist Regime” Looking at the case of sustainability transitions in the Philippines under the populist regime of Rodrigo Duterte, I look at discourse regarding sustainability transitions initiatives undertaken across several key sectors – climate change, transportation and energy. I also look at how such discourses is transmitted across the public sphere and how different societal actors negotiate and contest this discourse. PhD Supervisors Jonathan Pickering (Primary Supervisor) John Dryzek (Secondary Supervisor) Adele Webb (Secondary Supervisor)

< Back Emily Foley Postdoctoral Research Fellow About Emily Foley researches social democratic and centre-left parties, focusing on party politics, political organisation, and participation in Australia. Her work also explores immigration policy-making and labour rights, with an interest in the intersection of democratic governance and social justice. Emily is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. She is currently working on the Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks (2021–25). She is also a co-convener of the Australian Political Studies Association Political Organisation and Participation (POP) caucus.

Centre for Deliberative Democracy < Back Democracy Reimagined: Advancing Democratic Resilience and Renewal Investigator(s): Centre for Deliberative Democracy Democracy Reimagined: Advancing Democratic Resilience and Renewal 17 - 19 November 2025 | University of Canberra The Democracy Reimagined: Advancing Democratic Resilience and Renewal Conference is hosted by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Australia and New Zealand at the University of Canberra, in collaboration with the Australian National University and the Australian Resilient Democracy Research and Data Network. As democracies across the globe contend with significant threats, including deepening polarisation, rising extremism, and the proliferation of mis- and disinformation, the urgency of strengthening democratic resilience has never been greater. This conference brings together an international community of scholars and practitioners to deepen and expand the conversation around democratic resilience. Through engaging theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented perspectives, we aim to address critical challenges such as declining trust in democratic institutions, the resurgence of far-right and anti-democratic actors, polarisation, violent extremism, and the role of political institutions, democratic innovations, civil society, and grassroots movements in creating a more resilient democracy. We look forward to robust discussion on the assessment and implementation of democratic renewal across diverse contexts. The conference provides an opportunity to share practical strategies, forge new connections, and collectively contribute to renewed democratic scholarship and practice. Please see the attached program for further details: Democracy Reimagined Conference Program .pdf Download PDF • 9.73MB Any queries should be directed to Dr Emily Foley ( emily.foley@canberra.edu.au ).

Our Projects Democracy Reimagined: Advancing Democratic Resilience and Renewal Investigator(s): Centre for Deliberative Democracy Read More 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 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 Multiculturalism and Belonging in Australian Democracy Investigator(s): Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance Read More Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks Investigator(s): Selen A. Ercan, Jensen Sass, John Dryzek and Peter Balint 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 Deliberative Engagement in Action Masterclass Series Investigator(s): Centre for Deliberative Democracy 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 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

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 Read More 1 2 3 1 ... 1 2 3 ... 3

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 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

< Back Melissa Lovell Associate and Former PhD Student About Melissa Lovell is a writer, researcher and political scientist. She has a particular interest in the way that politicians and other political players frame policy problems and possibilities. Her research chiefly focuses on Australian Aboriginal Affairs governance and she is currently employed as a Research Officer at the National Centre for Indigenous Studies (NCIS), Australian National University.

< Back NATIVE TITLE AS A DELIBERATIVE SPACE FOR INDIGENOUS SELF-DETERMINATION About this event In 1992, the High Court of Australia delivered its historic Mabo v Queensland (No 2) decision, declaring Australian law could now recognise the pre-colonial rights (‘native title’) of Indigenous people to their traditional lands under their own laws. However, under Australian settler-colonial law, native title is constructed as a domestic property right and not as a set of political, cultural or sovereign rights’. Consequently, Indigenous peoples claims to self-determination has attained a prominent place in contemporary political and public debates on Indigenous-state relations in Australia. With Australia continuing to reject Indigenous self-determination, Aboriginal people must engage pragmatically and innovatively with state policies and institutions. In this presentation McCaul discusses examples of democratic innovation within Australia’s native title system as practiced by Aboriginal people focusing on comprehensive settlement agreements between Indigenous groups and the state; participatory governance in relation to the environmental management of Indigenous lands; and efforts to re-build Indigenous nationhood and traditional institutions of governance. McCaul argues native title has created space for public deliberation on self-determination and efforts to decolonise relations, governance, and policymaking between Indigenous polities and the settler colonial state. Justin McCaul is a descendent of the Mbarbarum Traditional Owners of far north Queensland. He joined ANU College of Law as an Associate Lecturer/PhD Candidate in February 2019. He has many years of experience working in native title and Indigenous policy in Australia for several non-government organisations including Oxfam Australia. He also worked in Cambodia on rural development and biodiversity conservation projects with Indigenous groups in northeast Cambodia. Before joining ANU he worked at the National Native Title Council researching the challenges Indigenous organisations face utilising their native title rights. His PhD uses deliberative democracy theory to discuss how Indigenous groups use their native title rights to assert self-determination claims and engage in public policy. Seminar series convenors Hans Asenbaum and Sahana Sehgal . Please register via Eventbrite . Previous Next

< Back Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency. Nicole Curato 2017 , Ithaca: Cornell University Press/Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. Summary Read more Previous Next

< Back Overdoing democracy: The problem of political polarization Tue 18 August 2020 Robert Talisse, Vanderbilt University 11:00am - 12:00pm Virtual seminar Seminar recording is available on our YouTube channel. Abstract Democracy is such an important social good that it seems natural to think that more is always better. However, we also recognize that it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. In this talk, Robert Talisse (Vanderbilt University) draws from current findings regarding political polarization to argue that, as important a social good as democracy is, it is nonetheless possible for citizens to overdo it. Today, our everyday activities are increasingly fused with our political profiles: commercial spaces, workplaces, professions, schools, churches, sports teams, and even public parks now tend to embody a particular political valence. When politics is permitted to saturate our social environments, we impair the capacities we need in order to enact democracy well. In a slogan, when we overdo democracy in this way, we undermine it. The solution is to build venues and activities where people can engage in cooperative activities together in which their political identities are neither bolstered nor suppressed, but simply beside the point. If we want to do democracy well, we need to put politics in its right place. About the speaker Robert Talisse is a political philosopher focusing on democracy and civic ethics. He has authored over a dozen academic books and more than 100 peer-reviewed articles. In addition, Talisse hosts the podcast Why We Argue, and co-hosts the podcast New Books in Philosophy. Talisse is also a regular contributor to various public philosophy venues such as Aeon, Scientific American Mind, 3 Quarks Daily, 3AM Magazine, Skeptical Inquirer, Free Inquiry, Think, and Institute for Arts and Ideas magazine. Previous Next

< Back What exactly is voting to consensual deliberation? Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ani, University of Ghana Tue 27 October 2020 11:00am - 12:00pm Virtual seminar Abstract There have been two parallel views regarding the role of voting in deliberation. The first is that deliberation before the fabrication of balloting was completely devoid of voting. The second is that voting is, not just part of deliberation, but is standard to deliberation. I argue in this article that neither of these views is correct. Implicit voting has always existed across time and space but only as a last resort in the event of a failure of natural unanimity. What is relatively modern is the establishment of what I call explicit voting, namely, balloting, outside deliberation and often without deliberation. I also distinguish between natural and artificial unanimities, and clarify that artificial unanimities are products of implicit voting. I demonstrate these clarifications with some examples of deliberation. I deploy these clarifications to rid a certain debate of confusion regarding the precise role of voting in consensual deliberation. About the speaker Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ani is a Senior Lecturer and has taught Critical Thinking for several years at the University of Ghana, Accra. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan, a B. Phil in Philosophy from the Pontificia Università Urbaniana Roma (Urban Pontifical University, Rome), Italy, an MA and a PhD in Political Philosophy from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. He is the University of Ghana external assessor for affiliate institutions on Logic and Critical Thinking. He was the Chair of Long Essay, Library and Graduate Studies, Department of Philosophy and Classics, University of Ghana. He briefly visited the Centre for Deliberative Democracy, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra (November-December 2017), and is one of the Associate Editors at the Journal of Deliberative Democracy. He has published in many high impact journals including Philosophical Papers, Journal of Political Philosophy, Philosophia, South African Journal of Philosophy, African Studies Quarterly, and Canadian Philosophical Review. He is a contributor to the Oxford Handbook of Deliberative Democracy, and the winner of the 2018 University of Ghana Humanities Provost Publication Award (Mid-Career Category). Previous Next