To help prepare the ground for political change and new policy, public universities have the responsibility to study and research promising topics. Direct democracy, as emphasised by the Occupy movement and others, is on of these topics. How can we best introduce direct democracy at central and local levels of governance in the UK?

In other places some academics appear to have started some useful work. Below, a couple of up-coming meetings are described.

Let's have some work like this in UK, the "mother of parliaments".

Two December events (A,B) about citizen-led direct democracy in Europe.

Please inform us about similar events in UK.

Event A

Direct (public issue) democracy in interdisciplinary and international context 2013/2014

Mid- and Eastern Europe, Austria, Switzerland and Germany

Technical University of Dresden, Main Hall and Old Mensa, Duelferstrasse 2, Postcode 01069, Dresden

5-6 December 2013

Thursday, 5th December

I. Direct Democracy in Middle and East Europe

Expert presentations about:
Hungary
Estonia
Discussion
Russia
Romania
Bulgaria

Romanian Evening with the Ambassador, Dr. Lazar Comanescu

Friday, 6th December

II. Direct Democracy in Austria, Switzerland and Germany

Chair: Prof. Gerold Jannsen, Director of DISUD1 at the Technical University Dresden

09:10 Direct democracy in Vienna and other Austrian cities. Prof. Werner Pleschberger, Vienna University

09:30 Direct democracy in Austrian towns and districts. prof. Klaus Poier, Graz University

10:40 "Votes for sale" in Swiss referenda? Dr. Thomas Milic, Bern/Zuerich Universities

11:00 Finance and direct democracy in Switzerland. Prof. Christoph Schaltegger, Luzern University

12:00 Lunch in Feldschloss Stammhaus

13:30 Local democracy: Citizens' Referendum Demand (direct democracy) in the Free State of Saxony. Dr. Rafael Leukart, Lawyer

13:50 Mass media and direct democracy. Prof. Olaf Jandura, Duesseldorf University

Discussion

15:00 Max Weber and Direct Democracy. Prof. Gebhard Geiger, Professor for economics and finance, Technical University Munich.

15:20 Inclusion of citizens' democratic rights in state constitution. A comparative analysis of law proposals since 2002. Dr. Denise Renger, German Federal Ministry of Justice. Deputy Chair, DISUD1

Discussion

Plenary Debate: Bringing Citizens' Direct Democratic Rights into the Constitution

Introductory lecture: Citizens' Direct Democratic Rights in the Constitution: The debate so far. Dr. Peter Neumann, Technical University Dresden

Discussants:
Dr. Hans-Peter Bartels Social-Democratic Party SPD, member of parliament.
Arnold Vaatz, Christian Democratic Party CDU, member of parliament.

Dinner

Close

1, Deutsches Institut für Sachunmittelbare Demokratie an der TU Dresden (DISUD an der TUD) e.V.
Leubnitzer Straße 30
01069 Dresden
Tel.: +49 (0)351 41746664
Fax: +49 (0)351 41746665
E-Mail:  info@disud.org

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Event B

University of Poznan, Poland

THE EVENT UNDER THE HONORARY PATRONAGE OF THE SWISS EMBASSY IN WARSAW.
The Research Group "Helvetic Initiative " and the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism,
would like to extend an invitation to a seminar on Direct Democracy in Switzerland and beyond.
Experiences and prospects
The seminar will be held on Thursday, 5th December 2013, at. 11:30 a.m. at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism (room no. 43)
The meeting will be conducted in English.
The seminar is directed to academic staff and students that are interested in the issues related to direct democratic government. The main objective of the meeting is to familiarize participants with Swiss direct democratic experiences, their consequences, prospects, and the possibilities of transferring some direct democratic tools to other countries. Special emphasis will be placed on the institution of the people’s assembly – Landsgemeinde – that functions exclusively in two cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus. During the meeting the organizers intend to present a documentary movie and report from this year’s Landsgemeinde in the canton of Appenzell.

Special guest of the seminar will be Mr. Martin Michelet – Minister of the Swiss Embassy in Warsaw.
Minister Michelet will present a speech on Direct Democracy in Switzerland.
Chair: Tomasz R. Szymczyński, PhD, Magdalena Musiał-Karg, PhD
11:30-11:40 Opening – prof. dr. hab. Robert Kmieciak, Vice-Dean WNPiD UAM
11:40-12:00 Mr. Martin Michelet (Minister of the Swiss Embassy)
Direct Democracy in Switzerland
12:00-12:10 Ewa Myślak, PhD (Jagiellonian University)
Popular initiative as an element of the political game
12:10-12:35 Magdalena Musiał-Karg, PhD (WNPiD UAM)
Landsgemeinde in Switzerland – the idea, pros & cons of the institution
- report from Landsgemeinde in Appenzell Innerhoden (Helvetic Initiative)
– Landsgemeinde in Appenzell (movies)
12:35-12:45 Marcin Łukaszewski, MA (WNPiD UAM)
The end of popular assembly? Experiences of Andorra and San Marino and the
questions about the future of Landsgemeinde
12:45-12:55 Krzysztof Koźbiał PhD (Jagiellonian University)
Direct Democracy in Liechtenstein
12:55-13:05 Elżbieta Kużelewska PhD (University in Bialystok)
Direct Democracy in Central Europe
13:05-13:30 Questions and discussion

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