Bringing people together
Social divisions, growing polarisation and the feeling that problems are getting out of hand - these are issues that concern many people. But how can we counteract this? Michendorf, a municipality in the German state of Brandenburg, found a possible answer on 9 October 2024:
Under the motto "Together in Michendorf ’, more than 80 citizens came together to engage in a moderated dialogue. The focus was on the idea of strengthening cohesion in the community and building bridges between different perspectives. The special thing about it: The participants were invited by random selection. Project employee Jonas Baumgart reports.
Why random selection?
Random selection, also known from formats such as citizens' assemblies, aims to bring together as representative a group of society as possible. In the case of Michendorf, around 400 citizens randomly selected from the population register received the invitations.
The response rate was surprisingly high: almost 25 per cent of those invited accepted. This is remarkable, as the response rate for randomly selected mini-publics is often significantly lower. One reason for this was the great commitment of the mayor, who was very involved in the dialogue.
However, the organisers - the municipality of Michendorf in collaboration with the Mehr Demokratie association - also see this high response rate as a sign that people have a great need for genuine, respectful dialogue. ‘It shows that many people are willing to talk to each other, even about controversial topics,’ explains Judith Strasser, project manager at Mehr Demokratie.
An evening of dialogue
The meeting, which was announced under the motto ‘Together in Michendorf “, took place in the community centre ”Zum Apfelbaum’. The opening by Mayor Claudia Nowka already created an open atmosphere. She emphasised the importance of direct dialogue with citizens: ‘Only through such conversations can we find out what really moves people.’
After the introduction, the evening began with the dialogue format ‘Speak & Listen’. The aim was not to convince the other person of their opinion, but to allow each other and their respective sensitivities to have their say on an equal footing.
Moving things forward together
The format developed by Mehr Demokratie is based on small discussion groups in which people talk about topics that are important to local people. People take it in turns to speak and listen. This structure and professional facilitation ensure that everyone hears each other. In Michendorf, the central questions were ‘How am I doing in Michendorf?’ and ‘How am I doing with the administration in Michendorf?’. At the end, the experiences of the small groups were discussed.
Many of the participants were positive about the event: ‘It's great to realise that everyone here wants to move things forward together instead of opposing each other,’ said one of the participants. This was also helped by the fact that Mayor Nowka took questions from the Michendorf residents in the final round.
Bringing people together
This was not just about specific concerns such as better cycle paths, optimised public transport connections or more meeting spaces for young people. Critical feedback, for example on communication between the administration and citizens, was also discussed. And there were also many positive voices: Many Michendorf residents emphasised how happy they are to live in a municipality that offers such a high quality of life.
Judith Strasser was delighted with the openness of the participants: ‘It was nice to see how different views could be heard here at eye level. That is precisely our goal: to bring people together and build bridges between different realities of life.’
‘We need formats like this more often’
One Michendorf resident summarised the event as follows: ‘We need formats like this more often here’. After the successful first dialogue, the Michendorf municipality intends to continue with further dialogues. The next citizens' dialogue will not be sortition-based, but open to all Michendorf residents.
By the end of 2024, Mehr Demokratie will have organised a total of around 30 such events throughout Brandenburg. Each municipality brings its own issues and challenges to the table - from conflicts between long-time residents and newcomers to the results of the state elections and larger social issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the current experience of the East-West dynamic.
Surprising insights
The feedback from the participants is largely positive. Many emphasise that this was the first time they had the opportunity to meet people with completely different perspectives and still talk to each other as equals. ‘I wouldn't have thought that such an exchange was possible. We disagreed on a lot of things, but I understood why the other person thinks the way they do,’ is typical feedback.
Mehr Demokratie has been campaigning for innovative forms of citizen participation for years, from referendums to citizens' assemblies. With its focus on ‘Democratic Culture’, the association has created a new area of work in 2021 that focuses specifically on dialogue and understanding. The pilot project ‘Conversations from person to person’ in Brandenburg aims to make it possible to experience and feel what a democratic culture of dialogue, discussion and debate can look like. There are plans to expand the project to other federal states in 2025.