Key Takeaways from the Close to You Workshop

IDEAL and MultiPoD organised and online session “Voices without borders: Empowering citizens to shape tomorrow”, during the EURegionsWeek Close to You series of events. 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.

To support this mission, the two projects have created 8 takeaway messages that present their key insights and recommendations. These messages can be downloaded directly from here.