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DemocracyCo

DemocracyCo is one of Australia's most established deliberative democracy practices, providing end-to-end design, facilitation, and project management for citizens' juries, panels, and assemblies. It was co-founded by Emily Jenke and Emma Fletcher — both with backgrounds in SA public service and community engagement — out of a frustration that governments were not achieving quality reform commensurate with the scale of problems faced by communities.

The practice does not advocate a single methodology; it selects approaches suited to each process. Its core principle is that giving citizens genuine influence means committing at the outset to implementing some or all of what they decide.

Notable processes

  • SA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Citizens' Juries (2016) — A two-stage process involving 50 then 350 South Australians deliberating on whether SA should store international nuclear waste; described at the time as the world's largest citizens' jury on nuclear waste storage
  • Citizens' Jury: Sharing the Roads Safely, SA (2014) — Explored road sharing between motorists and cyclists; facilitated by Emily Jenke
  • Citizens' Jury: Reducing Unwanted Dogs and Cats, SA — 50 citizens, 5 days, 13 recommendations, 11 adopted and legislated
  • Citizens' Assembly on Responsible Social Media Discourse, Bosnia and Herzegovina — International process designed by DemocracyCo with Sortition Foundation recruitment
  • The People's House — An ongoing methodology giving MPs tools to engage randomly selected constituents; piloted in ACT and Victoria