ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ACB
Draw
The participants in the Citizens' Assembly are determined by drawing lots. This print includes two step.
The first step is to draw lots 75 statistical sectors within the Brussels-Capital Region. A statistical sector is a geographical area made up of a few streets for which there are statistical data, the number of inhabitants in particular. Also, for this draw, each sector will beweighted by the number of inhabitants.This allows everyone in Brussels to have the same chance of being drawn.
The second stage is divided into several one-week phases. At the start of each phase,a fixed number of postal addresses are drawn at random in each statistical sector.
Ainvitation letterto participate in the Citizens' Assembly is sent to each of these addresses. People receiving this mail are free to register or not as participants. In order to encourage participation, Agora plans to reconnect with people residing at the addresses drawnby telephone, if their number is in the telephone book, or hasa pdoor to doorduring the week following the mail.
The phases are repeated from one week to another until obtaining a pool of at least178 candidates making it possible to constitute 4 half-assemblies respecting the quotas(3 effective half-assemblies and 1 substitute). This constitution is done using an algorithm that optimizes the distribution of candidates from the pool in order to best respect the quotas in each of the groups.
The draw will be repeatedevery year and a half in order to constitute the following Meetings.
Composition of the CDA
Representative of the Brussels population*
Gender
Age
level of studies
Anyone with the right to vote at regional or municipal level in the Brussels-Capital Region can potentially be drawn.
Assembly Size: 50 people
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The Assembly will be composed of 50% of people defining themselves as women and 50% defining themselves as men**
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The Assembly will be representative of the different age groups (33% 18-34 years old; 37% 35-54 years old and 30% 55 years old and over)
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The Assembly will be representative of the different levels of diploma in Brussels (37% lower secondary or less; 27% upper secondary; 36% higher education)
* IBSA demographic surveys 2016-2018.
** The 2018 demographic surveys for the Brussels region are 48.8% men and 51.2% women. Concretely, this would represent 43 to 44 men and 45 to 46 women. However, in order to leave a margin of maneuver in the composition of the meeting and to allow people who do not find themselves in either of the two categories to participate in the Meeting, we propose to ensure the presence of at least 40 males and 40 females and strive for equality.
Process of a mandate
themandateof a draw will last a year and will be divided into two cycles 5 daysof meetings.Each cycle will give the opportunity to the citizens drawn by lot to express themselves ona subject. Between each subject (so every 6 months), half of the Assembly will be renewed. In this way, continuity in the Assembly is ensured.
Each cycle is spread over aduration of 3 and a half months and is organized as follows:
Day 1 :
30/11/2019
- ½ day of reception
- ½ day of discovery of the subject
Days 2,3,4:
11/1/2020 - 8/2/2020 - 7/3/2020 - 210/2
- Deliberations and interventions by external persons.
- Production of a positioning of the Assembly
Day 5:
25/4/2020
- ½ day to validate a motion for a resolution drafted by AGORA members mandated by the Assembly.
- ½ day of evaluation (personal, possibility of expression, general functioning of the Assembly)
The project
The project
The project
The assembly days will be held on Saturdayfor a full day of9 a.m. to 6 p.m..Citizens drawn at random will receive asmall remunerationper day spent at the Meeting (around €40 per day). Anursery will be scheduled.
1 month between days 1 and 2.
2 weeks between days 2 and 3 and 4.
1 month between days 4 and 5.
Several arrangements have been put in place to ensure an informed debate in which not every citizen can actually take part.
Of thefacilitatorsprofessionals will frame the debate to allow an equal right to speak and avoid the establishment of mechanisms of domination.
The Assembly will welcomespeakers, chosen in order to clarify the stakes of the questions addressed.
The positioning of the Assembly will be determined by methods of common choice, such as themajority judgment.
The validation of the resolution will be based on a vote at themajority of ⅔.
The logo of the Brussels Citizens' Assembly
We have decided to create a graphic charter and a website for the Brussels Citizens' Assembly which are independent of the graphic charter and the website of the Agora movement.
Although this Assembly is the initiative of the Agora movement, the objective is toinstitutionalize itlong-term. Just as the Brussels Parliament is independent of political parties, the Brussels Citizens' Assembly will therefore be independent of the Agora movement. For the moment, it is of course the volunteers of Agora who are organizing this Assembly, and it is the spokesperson for the movement who is defending the Assembly's proposals within Parliament. In the longer term we hope that the Assembly acquires astatus similar to that of Parliament.This is why we have given it a graphic charter and an independent logo.
For the choice of logo and colors, the movement was inspired by the graphic charter of the Brussels Parliament, while taking care to create a sufficiently different logo to avoid any confusion. Initially, the Assembly logo will always be combined with the Agora logo in order to avoid any possibility of confusion.
The logo can be seen as airi flowers, seen from above, like the iris of Brussels. It flowers, blossoms and opens outwards. At the same time, the logo depicts people gathered around a table discussing, deliberating and listening. These people are many, diverse and of equal status around this table. The petals of the flower suggest an openness rather than a withdrawal into oneself.
