Prof. Pospieszna actively participated in this year's annual Democracy R&D conference, held on October 4-5, 2023, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event was hosted by We Do Democracy (WDD) and the Danish Board of Technology (DBT) and took place at the unique Demokrati Garage, a repurposed old car repair shop transformed into a space for democracy-related events. The conference theme, "Let’s give democracy an overhaul!" encapsulated the collective focus on redefining and enhancing democratic practices.
Democracy R&D is a network comprising academics and practitioners committed to empowering diverse citizen groups to form informed judgments, share decisions with governments, and achieve these goals through deep democratic practices such as random selection and deliberation. The Democratic Innovations team is affiliated with the regional hub of this network, concentrating on deliberative innovations in Central and Eastern Europe.
Prof. Pospieszna co-organized Workshop 11, titled "Catalyst Action Groups for Seeding Democracy in Ukraine," alongside Prof. Daniel Oross. The discussions yielded crucial considerations, conclusions, and anticipated actions. One prominent risk identified was the potential oversight of existing initiatives in Ukraine, emphasizing the need to thoroughly map the landscape and identify grassroots movements. The conclusion pointed towards developing a specific toolkit or package for catalyst action groups as a preliminary step. This toolkit, tailored to the Ukrainian context, would be crafted collaboratively, ensuring its readiness when the opportune moment arises, and necessitates close consultation with Ukrainian partners.