Designing Open Democracy — Landscape News: Australia

Folio Collective: Should we celebrate democracy today — or reimagine it for tomorrow?

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Global dialogue marking International Day of Democracy

we’re joined by Lisa Witter and Josh Lerner, two leading democratic innovators whose work traverses continents and the democratic ecosystem, from communities to public servants and elected representatives

Landscape profile: Folio Collective · Source

Australia · Deliberative Democracy · Collective Intelligence

888 Co-operative Causeway: Co-hosting "International Day of Democracy: democracy beyond the ballot box" panel with Designing Open Democracy

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — Public panel co-hosted for International Day of Democracy

Panel at the Kelvin Club — the members' club 888 provides workspace access to — on democratic practices beyond voting. Confirmed panel of four — Nicholas Gruen (Lateral Economics), Anitra Nelson (University of Melbourne), Godfrey Moase (CoPower), and Nicole Hunter (MosaicLab).

Hosted by 888 Co-operative Causeway in partnership with Designing Open Democracy.

Landscape profile: 888 Co-operative Causeway, Designing Open Democracy · Source

Australia · Cooperative · Employee Ownership Trusts · Worker Cooperatives · Economic Democracy · Meta-Organisation · Deliberative Democracy · Accountability Sink · Cybernetic Governance

newDemocracy Foundation: Launches the second edition of the "Democracy Beyond Elections" citizens’ assemblies handbook at UN Headquarters in New York, produced with UNDP and the UN Democracy Fund

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — Publication launch with UN agencies

newDemocracy announced that outgoing Executive Director Iain Walker would launch the handbook’s second edition at UN Headquarters on International Day of Democracy. The handbook itself was published on newDemocracy’s site on 14 September 2026 and is free to download. newDemocracy has since advised that a short video edit of the launch will be published (newDemocracy correspondence, September 2026).

On 15 September, International Day of Democracy, Iain will travel to New York to launch the second edition of our book, Democracy Beyond Elections: A Handbook on Citizens’ Assemblies.

Landscape profile: newDemocracy Foundation · Source

Australia · Citizens’ Assembly · Deliberative Democracy · Sortition · Isegoria · Cognitive Division of Labour

The Australia Institute — Democracy & Accountability Program: Climate Integrity Summit 2026 — global leaders, economists and advocates on Australia's fossil fuel exit, Parliament of NSW Sydney

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — Flagship conference/summit

The Climate Integrity Summit convenes leading experts in economics, ecology, policy and governance to discuss a credible and achievable climate policy that serves the Australian people and the broader global community.

Landscape profile: The Australia Institute — Democracy & Accountability Program · Source

Australia · Accountability Sink · Constitutional Democracy · Representative Democracy

newDemocracy Foundation: Kyle Redman appointed Executive Director as Iain Walker steps back to Director, Advocacy after 15 years

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — Leadership transition

Walker remains with the foundation part-time as Director, Advocacy and joins the Board alongside Kathy Jones, Lyn Carson and Luca Belgiorno-Nettis.

After 15 years at the helm of the newDemocracy Foundation, Executive Director Iain Walker is stepping aside, and the Board is pleased to announce that Kyle Redman has been appointed Executive Director.

Landscape profile: newDemocracy Foundation · Source

Australia · Citizens’ Assembly · Deliberative Democracy · Sortition · Isegoria · Cognitive Division of Labour

RadicalxChange Foundation: Melbourne chapter launch event — first Australian RadicalxChange chapter

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — First chapter launch

We are also excited to introduce you to the founding members of the new RadicalxChange Melbourne chapter

Landscape profile: RadicalxChange Foundation · Source

Australia · Collective Intelligence · Participatory Budgeting

Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy (CAPaD): 2026 CAPaD AGM — Annual General Meeting, online via Zoom

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Routine annual governance meeting

Be part of setting the future for CAPaD for another year.

Landscape profile: Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy (CAPaD) · Source

Australia · Direct Democracy · Citizens’ Assembly · Cooperative

Co-operative Bonds: Published a case study on the Castlemaine Hub's $2 million community debenture campaign

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Case study on a notable community-ownership financing model

Educational case study (by co-founder Antony McMullen) explaining member-debenture financing via the Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative's real 2025 campaign, which raised $2 million to buy the heritage Hub building out of the speculative property market — not a claim that Co-operative Bonds ran the campaign itself.

When the ‘Hub’, a beautiful heritage building in Castlemaine, faced the risk of being sold to unsympathetic developers, the community feared it would disrupt the small enterprises and community organisations it was home to. But they needed $1.95 million to secure the building.

Landscape profile: Co-operative Bonds · Source

Australia · Cooperative · Economic Democracy · Workplace Democracy · Community Business · Worker Cooperatives

Democracy in Colour: Welcomed the Federal Court's dismissal of Pauline Hanson's appeal against a racial discrimination finding

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Advocacy response to a significant court ruling

Statement by National Director Noura Mansour, described as drawing "a clear boundary, demonstrating that racial abuse is not acceptable in our parliament or anywhere else in our community."

Democracy in Colour welcomes the Federal Court’s decision to uphold the racial discrimination finding against One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. ... The court dismissed Hanson’s appeal on the ruling that found she breached the racial discrimination act against Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi on social media in September 2022.

Landscape profile: Democracy in Colour · Source

Australia · Democracy · Representative Democracy · Isegoria

Council Watch: Published first results from its National Council Census 2026, drawing ~5,000 respondents nationwide

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Self-run national survey of council trust

Around 5,000 participants nationwide responded; the article reports early no-confidence indicators including 89.4% agreeing council wastes money and 85.2% saying council does not represent them. Self-compiled advocacy data — see the page's own Sourcing note.

The first results from the National Council Census 2026 are in - and they are savage.

Landscape profile: Council Watch · Source

Australia · Accountability Sink

Conversations at the Crossroads: Convened "Reclaiming Democracy Together" national launch at Melbourne Town Hall, marking the 125th anniversary of Australia's first federal parliament

Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — Platform/product launch

On 9 May 2026, we gather to launch Reclaiming Democracy Together — an ambitious seven-year project. The aim: to rethink and revitalise democratic life in Australia, and beyond.

Landscape profile: Conversations at the Crossroads · Source

Australia · Citizens’ Assembly · Deliberative Democracy · Democracy

Open Government Partnership — Australia: Australia's fourth Open Government Forum appointed, with co-creation of the fourth National Action Plan beginning

Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Committee formation, not itself an outcome

The Attorney-General appointed Forum members from those rated suitable by the panel, with successful candidates announced on 8 May 2026.

Landscape profile: Open Government Partnership — Australia · Source

Australia · Radical Transparency · E-Government · Constitutional Democracy

Ette Media: Reported an audience of 20,000+ weekly listens and a completed nationwide live tour, nine months post-launch

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Notable — Audience growth and live tour milestone

Date is the Acast interview's publish date, reporting on the podcast's growth since the June 2025 launch.

Just nine months post-launch, the duo have built a loyal and engaged audience of more than 20,000 listens per week, completed a nationwide live tour, and even launched sustainably made t-shirts off the back of fan demand.

Landscape profile: Ette Media · Source

Australia · Tribal Epistemology

Lamestream: Published an Epstein Files investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's advisory role in Mongolia

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Major — Original investigative journalism naming a former PM

Part of a multi-part investigation (with a companion piece on a 2013 dinner between Epstein and Ehud Barak); also named former Australian PM Kevin Rudd as a fellow board member on Epstein's Mongolia advisory board (Rudd denies meeting Epstein), per this page's own body text.

For years, Jeffrey Epstein used his connections to build a network of influence aimed at Mongolia. Now Lamestream can reveal what drove his obsession.

Landscape profile: Lamestream · Source

Australia · Tribal Epistemology