The G1000. Facts, figures and some lessons from an experience of deliberative democracy in Belgium

Abstract

The initiative we are going to discuss in this lead piece is the G1000 in Belgium. Contrary to most other initiatives by researchers or government agencies (Reuchamps, Forthcoming 2013), the G1000 project is a more hybrid type of deliberative event. There are certain characteristics that set it apart from other initiatives, such as the way in which the agenda of the event was set, the scale of the event, and the fact that is was a grass-root initiative by and for citizens. Because of its hybrid form, the G1000 deserves special attention. In this chapter, we first sketch the general background against which deliberative democracy in general – and the G1000 in particular – came about, after which we show that there is an ever-growing experience with deliberative events, and we highlight some of the main characteristics of these events. Next, we go into detail on the ideas and the methodological choices behind the G1000 project. And finally, we offer an overall evaluation of the project