Deliberation and political participation are fundamental rights of every citizen, yet often inaccessible for the most vulnerable or marginalised ones due to language and cultural barriers. The pan-European projects IDEAL and MultiPoD will share their plans and solutions to be validated by citizens in Athens, Vienna, Lisbon, and Brussels, exploring how cutting-edge technologies like AI can support inclusive and multilingual engagement. The interactive session will unpack how excluded communities can overcome barriers to deliberation and political engagement across languages and cultures. No citizen should be left behind, and each citizen should help shape the city and society of tomorrow.
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- Local and regional | Migration | Research and Innovation | Social inclusion and Equality | Youth and citizens engagement
- Code: Side253595
- Online Session
Practical information
- When
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Wed 22/10/2025, 10:00 - 11:00 CET
- Where
- Online Session
- Type of partnership
- EURegionsWeek close to you
- Format
- Side
- Theme
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The Right to Stay: unlocking the potential of every territory
- Language
- English
Partners
Re-Imagine Europa
Reporting
Session summary
IDEAL and MultiPoD are European projects designed to strengthen participatory democracy by combining social science expertise with innovative, ethical-by-design AI technologies. Their mission is to break the barriers that prevent millions of citizens from engaging in deliberation and decision-making processes.
Some of the challenges addressed by these 2 projects are:
* Cultural, linguistic, and digital literacy barriers that exclude many from democratic participation.
* Economic precarity and anxiety leave citizens too overwhelmed to engage in public consultations.
* Distrust in political institutions, fueled by disinformation, misinformation, and polarizing social media trends.
* Frustration, where institutions fail to deliver solutions to citizens who feel abandoned.
MultiPoD develops digital deliberation technologies, interconnecting communities and fostering cross-cultural dialogue. AI and visual tools help bridge cultural differences and create inclusive spaces for debate.
IDEAL focuses on both offline and online participatory processes, simplifying communication and enhancing dialogue at the EU level. Pilots begin with small groups to build trust before scaling nationally.
Together, IDEAL and MultiPoD aim to restore trust in institutions, counteract polarization, and build a more inclusive and vibrant democracy in Europe. By fostering meaningful participation and dialogue, these projects seek to bridge the gap between citizens and policymakers, ensuring that diverse voices are not only heard but actively integrated into decision-making processes. In doing so, they contribute to breaking cycles of distrust and polarization, while laying the foundation for democratic institutions that are more responsive, transparent, and representative of the people they serve.
Quotes
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“We want to provide tools that go beyond a mere translation of a dialogue, because cultural differences completely change interpretation.”
“Minority and migrant voices remain underrepresented, and that gives more space to polarization and biased information.”
“I don’t see a lot of people participating in deliberation processes. Most will participate in processes like elections, protests, and signing petitions, which are not that time-consuming and do not provide real and constructive input.”
Additional links
https://www.idealdemocracy.eu/post/no-citizen-left-behind-rethinking-participation-across-borders
https://www.idealdemocracy.eu/_files/ugd/68109f_55492fc046c54078aa33aac6e72d92f8.pdf
