No dia 24 de janeiro, Savaş Zafer Şahi̇n (Hacı Bayram Veli University) será o orador convidado no Seminário do Grupo de Investigação RIGoP sobre o tema Facilitating participation in an upscaled jurisdiction: The case of the citizen council of Ankara.

One of the most pressing questions about democratic participation and resilience is how the initiatives formed by citizens living in cities will respond to the deepening crises both locally and globally. Although most solutions to many problems, such as the climate crisis, migration, population growth, polarisation, and xenophobia, seem to emanate from the global north, new examples that have become visible with the contribution of developing technological possibilities show that the situation is different. In all corners of the world, ordinary citizens are showing the will to come together and collaborate to solve their problems, and they are making a difference. This presentation aims to showcase one of these examples in detail: the experience of democratic participation, sustainable development, and resilience in the capital of a country that has attracted attention in every period of history but has not been on the agenda with such examples. Founded in the Turkish capital Ankara in mid-2019, the Ankara Citizen Council has quickly transformed into an unprecedented democratic participation platform in the country and has become a globally recognized initiative. Describing this initiative will be seminal in demonstrating the potential of the global south and how good practices can emerge, where necessary, based on trust and human relations. This example describes how the different age groups, segments of society, and vulnerable groups brought together by this successful example of participation came together and what they achieved. The presentation explains the model of participation that was collectively developed for these purposes and its elements, elaborating on the mistakes, shortcomings, and obstacles. The story of such an experience, ranging from art to design, solidarity to collaboration, urban problems to local politics, can be a source of experience and intrigue for those who would like to do something about and study participation.

Este Seminário insere-se nos Seminar Series Democratic Innovation. A partir das 11h, na Sala 2 do ICS-ULisboa e online.