A citizens’ assembly is a democratic process that brings together a randomly selected, representative group of everyday people to learn about, deliberate on, and make recommendations regarding specific public issues. It is important because it ensures diverse voices are heard, minimizes political bias, and empowers regular citizens to directly influence and shape the policies that affect their communities.
Lithuania’s second-ever Citizens’ Assembly, implemented by the National NGO Coalition alongside its partners, is currently taking place in the Kaunas District and brings a fresh, democratic approach to a pressing public health issue.
The Core Challenge: How can we ensure that all demographic groups utilize preventative healthcare services?
Empowering the Community Through a Democratic Lottery Breaking away from traditional decision-making, the Kaunas District has gathered 30 randomly selected residents through a “democratic lottery.” This selection method acts as a mirror of society, ensuring true representation across age, gender, education, and income levels. By removing political influence, it empowers everyday citizens — who often remain outside of active politics — to become the authors of change in their community.
The Three-Step Journey to Solutions
To draft actionable strategies that will encourage neighbours, friends, and family to choose preventative health checks, the participants are guided through a structured three-stage process. The journey begins with a learning phase, where participants meet with health experts to analyse local health metrics, understand the healthcare infrastructure, and learn about public health promotion. This is followed by a discussion stage, during which residents gather in small, collaborative groups to share personal experiences and deliberate on the challenges and barriers preventing people from accessing preventative care. Finally, the process concludes with decision-making, where the Assembly drafts and votes on concrete recommendations.
From Ideas to Real Action
The ultimate goal of this Assembly is not just discussion, but tangible change. The finalized recommendations will be officially presented to the Mayor of Kaunas District, the Municipal Council, and the Administration. These citizen-led insights will be directly considered when improving policies, ensuring that preventative healthcare becomes a priority for all residents.