Welcome to DiEM25’s citizen engagement project People’s Gatherings — a first step in forging political programmes across Europe.
The People’s Gatherings project offers all DiEMers – individual members and local collectives alike, the opportunity to organise local meetings – Gatherings! – where everyone can come to discuss the future of their community, region, and country.
You can tackle any topic you like, from workers rights to ending the climate crisis, from health to education, but also culture, democracy… anything you fancy tackling! We’ve developed a selection of topics to inspire you but don’t hesitate to come up with your own.
Let’s create a Europe worth fighting for!
COVID-19 has highlighted how the way that our countries are run is failing all of us socially, economically, and environmentally. We need to imagine and organise new ways of living – ones quite different from the policies that created this mess in the first place.
Politicians and organisations that continue to prioritise the rich and powerful over everyone else cannot lead us out of it. People, together exercising their power, can! So let’s start now!
Tell us – what needs changing in YOUR community? What issues do you face? And what does a better future look like?
Get involved!
Getting started is easy – Gatherings are meant to be informal, so no biggie! All you have to do is:
- settle on a topic (think about something important to your community, relevant and inspiring! – here you’ll find ideas to help you)
- choose a place (Would it be better in a coffee shop? A park? Your living room? Or maybe online?)
- invite people! (don’t forget to publish it on DiEM25’s calendar)
Most importantly, use your imagination! Gatherings can take many shapes and forms: a film screening followed by a discussion, a book club, a performance… The main thing is that people who attend get a chance to talk to each other, something we have all greatly missed!
Finally, remember that everyone is welcome to Gatherings – DiEM25 members or not. If you decide to tackle more difficult issues – like Fiscal Policy (yikes!), you can also call on local experts. This is an opportunity to talk to people you admire and local leaders you have been wanting to engage with.
Report back from your Gathering!
So, you’ve organised a Gathering? Now you can help shape DiEM25’s political programme in your country by submitting this feedback form. Task Forces will then use the submissions received to draft DiEM25’s programme.
Interested?
Come to the Activist Meeting every first Wednesday of the month @19:00 CEST and learn more about People’s Gatherings. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions!
Suggested topics
- Alternatives to Capitalism
- The Ecological Transition We Need
- Housing for Everyone
- Universal Health and Mental care
- Education for the 99%
- Freedom of Movement for people, not capital!
- A People’s Diplomacy for Global Peace
- Democracy Dies with Apathy
- Redesigning the EU
- Revolutionary Arts and Culture
- Real Rights for Workers
- How to Break the Patriarchy
- Centering Feminism for Liberation
- Democratic Control over Technology
- Ending All Forms of Discriminiation
News
Check out other organisers’ experiences here! Send your own to [email protected]
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FAQ People’s Gatherings
How should I prepare myself to host a Gathering?
You can download our Questionnaires for the respective country you would like to do the PG in, and People’s Gatherings Pack on the page. Pick the question(s) you are interested in answering in your Gathering, and then read the Kit for advice on how to host it.
Do I have to be a DiEM25 member to organise an event?
Yes, you do. Find out more about registering here.
Who can participate?
Anyone! We value all opinions and would like to hear as many different voices as possible. That means participants of any age, nationality, level of education are encouraged to take part in Gatherings! You might just find that the red questions require additional support in the form of educational materials or the consultation of experts.
Some questions sound really hard, how do I answer them?
We want everyone to be heard even on the most technical topics! However, we also understand that some questions might look daunting at first. For the red questions, we suggest that you reach out to experts. Alternatively, you can ask fellow DiEMers for help in the forum!
I want to organise a Gathering, how do I find participants?
We are interested to hear about anyone in your community — your family, friends, colleagues or other people in your area that you think would be interesting to engage with! You could also reach out to your local DSC and get fellow DiEMers on board.
How many people should be in a Gathering?
This is up to you to decide! These Gatherings can be as little or as big as you want, but we recommend having 3-8 people per Gathering. Just keep in mind that the larger it is, the longer it might take, and the more you’ll need to moderate. Download our Kit for more information.
How can I host a Gathering during the pandemic?
All Gatherings must abide by the COVID measures of the country in which they are hosted. Check the current measures online and try and think of creative ways to engage your participants that fit within these limitations. Read through our Kit for more advice!
Can a Gathering take place online?
Yes. Gatherings can take place online — through Zoom, Jitsi, Discord, via online gaming platforms or any other creative and innovative means!
Are there different roles in a Gathering?
We’ve tried to leave it as open ended as possible, but the essentials are for the organiser to take on a moderating role, and for someone to document the responses to the questions to keep track of what’s being said and transcribe it into the reporting form later.
What happens after the Gathering?
After the Gathering, you should fill in the reporting form with all the answers you gathered during your meeting. If you think you have an interesting experience to share, you can record it in the ‘miscellaneous’ section of the form or can contact [email protected] and we’ll make a post on our website about it!
What happens after I submit my answers?
We’ll have a close look at all the answers we received from Gatherings across Europe and build our national political programmes from it. If you’d like to help us to that, fill in this form to show your interest.
How does DiEM25 comply with GDPR?
When it comes to the People’s Gatherings participants, DiEM25 does not collect any personal data, only statistics (e.g. number of participants) and the collective conclusion. If anyone at a People’s Gathering asks you to give them data on yourself, know that they are not doing so on behalf of DiEM25 and you have the right to refuse. In case photos or videos are taken, everyone has to agree to their use in writing, and has the right to withdraw their consent at any moment by writing to the organiser.
Not finding an answer to your question here?
If you’re still unsure of something, contact us at [email protected].