The Democratic Odyssey – Athens assembly meeting
Athens is reemerging as a center of innovative democratic processes, as the city will later this month host an innovative “Citizens’ Assembly” a few days before next month’s Athens Democracy Forum (ADF).
ADF, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation (DCF) in partnership with The New York Times, is proud to announce this new initiative, which aims to pave the way for a permanent people’s assembly in Europe.
From September 27 to 29, 2024, 200 citizens from different countries will gather in Athens to participate in a pilot program, part of the “Democratic Odyssey” campaign that will continue its meetings throughout 2025. During this three-day convention, participants, chosen at random through a lottery, will engage in multilingual and cross-border discussions on critical issues concerning the future of Europe.
This initiative comes at a time when the European Union is facing major challenges, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, climate change and the threat of democratic retreat.
“Democratic Odyssey” aims to strengthen the participation of citizens in the formulation of policies that will determine the future of the continent.
The main conclusions of this meeting will be presented at the 12th Athens Democracy Forum, which takes place this year on October 1-3 October. A special panel with the participation of members of the “Democratic Odyssey” campaign will analyze the findings, paving the way for further discussions on the role of citizens in the democratic process in Europe.
