Archon Fung of Harvard University is one of the leading academics in the field of participatory democracy, and in a newly published article doesn’t pull his punches, calling many participatory programmes running worldwide PB-Lite… a form of decaffeinated politics, that are missing some essential ingredients. Fung believes "Social justice receded from the agenda of participatory… Read More
Wrexham and Flintshire groups benefit from proceeds of crime money
Groups across North Wales are able to grab back cash from criminals through a Participatory Budgeting initiative run by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner. As reported in the Leader Newspaper community groups in Wrexham and Flintshire to bid for a share of a £42,000 pot of money seized from criminals. The scheme has… Read More
Devo Manc — an opportunity missed to devolve power beyond the town hall steps?
Guest Blog by Jez Hall, of Shared Future cic and PB Partners In a few days, after the Conservative Party winds up its Manchester conference visit, and the champagne corks have stopped popping, leaders of third sector organisations in Manchester will be gathering to soberly debate the implications of DevoManc, framed round the question “Do… Read More
Backroom knowledge and support is critical says USA experiences of PB
In a new article about the City of Cambridge (USA) PB programme, that saw $600,000 distributed last year the focus was on the role that city officials and community budget delegates play in refining ideas before they get on the ballot. This follows some controversy that half the money distributed last year went on one… Read More
Milan is first Italian city to use PB… and it starts at 9m euro for youth
The mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia, is seeking the advice of teenagers to decide how to allocate 9 million euros (10 million dollars‘) worth of the city‘s budget, as part of a new grassroots democracy scheme. Milan is the first Italian city to engage in participatory budgeting, a process spearheaded in Brazil in the late… Read More
Participatory democracy video explores the power of active citizens worldwide
Open Society Foundations supports Goal 16 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which could enable citizens to create more a inclusive society through participatory democracy. In this short video they explore why participatory democracy matters, and how participatory budgeting fits into the story. Exploring PB initiatives around the USA, from Boston Youth lead the change… Read More
New Participatory Budgeting website for Scotland launched
A new website for participatory budgeting in Scotland launches this month. PB Scotland is for sharing and learning about the great work being done by participatory budgeting (PB) initiatives around Scotland. Funded by the Scottish Government, the website will provide updates on events, policy and resources relevant to PB in Scotland, and profile good examples… Read More
Highland Youth embrace online PB big time
A HIGHLAND Council appeal for Lochaber people to vote for the youth projects they wanted to receive a share of a £10,000 cash pot brought an overwhelming response from local folk. The exercise was part of a pilot project run by Highland Council to test how PB can reach young people in remote locations online…. Read More
Digital currencies and participatory budgeting
One of the exciting features of participatory budgeting is how it encourages people to think imaginatively and find new ways to build communities, both online and face to face. One example is a new paper that has been published by the independent think tank NEF in association with Common Weal, exploring the creation of the… Read More
Introductory Guide to Participatory Budgeting published by the PB Network
The PB Network has commissioned a guide to Participatory Budgeting in the UK. Funded by donations from consultancy work done by PB Partners, and written by leading experts on PB in the UK. Our 20 page A5 booklet and online PDF covers all the basic information you need to understand how PB contributes towards the… Read More
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