Inclusive Citizenship in a World in Transformation:

Co-Designing for Democracy

A unique contribution to the future of democracy in Europe by harnessing historical and quantitative and qualitative social science research, agent-based modelling, design thinking, and advanced analytical methods.

Historical Review: Portugal

Remembering Portugal’s SAAL: A Revolution in Housing After the Carnation Revolution

Historical Review: Germany

A Pivotal Moment in Germany’s Ecological Movement: The Anti-Nuclear Power Protest in Wyhl

Historical Review: Spain

Exploring Spain’s Environmental Battles Post-Franco: A Legacy of Activism

Historical Review: Italy

Italy’s Anti-Nuclear Movement: A Grassroots Victory in Viadana

Historical Review: Norway

Norway’s Wind Power Conflict: A Struggle Between Indigenous Rights and Renewable Energy

News & Events

INCITE-DEM presents case study at ESA Conference

INCITE-DEM presents case study at ESA Conference

INCITE-DEM was present at the 16th European Sociological Association Conference (ESA Conference), which took place in Porto between 27 and 30 August. Two teams of researchers represented our project - CE3C and ICS Lisbon. First, our colleagues from the Faculty of...

Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Democracy in Europe

Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Democracy in Europe

Public debates about the crisis of democracy have focused on the idea that public support for representative democracy is declining. Satisfaction with democracy and trust in political institutions are said to be eroding among citizens. Are these claims backed by data?...

[BLOG] When in Rome – Democracy Labs all’Italiana

[BLOG] When in Rome – Democracy Labs all’Italiana

The Italian leg of INCITE DEM’s Democracy Labs was organized on May 28th and 29th, in Rome. The selected location was Esperienza Europa (Europe Experience), a space recently opened by the Italian Office of the European Parliament in Piazza Venezia, right at the heart...

First Issue of INCITE-DEM Newsletter Released

First Issue of INCITE-DEM Newsletter Released

We are thrilled to announce the release of the first issue of the INCITE-DEM newsletter! The newsletter will serve as a central hub for everything related to the INCITE-DEM project. Over the next two years, six issues will be published, detailing the challenges and...

Community of Practice

Community of Practice

An inciting Community of Practice The 'Making democracy work for sustainability' Community of Practice is a place where relevant stakeholders from the field of democracy and sustainability meet to exchange knowledge, information and experience, hence co-creating new...

Democracy Labs: Gaining Momentum!

Democracy Labs: Gaining Momentum!

The first Democracy Lab in Norway was a success, tomorrow the "Laboratório Democracia" will kick-off in Lisbon!A two-day event took place in Norway on the 18th and 19th of April, where 18 citizens from diverse backgrounds followed non-formal methodologies and...

Democracy Labs emerge as pioneering spaces for citizen-centred and multi-stakeholder collaboration aimed at fostering democratic innovation. Based on a Policy Lab approach, they serve as dynamic arenas where citizens, policymakers, bureaucrats, researchers, experts,...

Project Goal

Our main goal is to enhance inclusive participation and civic engagement, while expanding democratic innovation
and dynamic feedback mechanisms between citizens and institutional actors in representative democracies. This goal
is driven by the ambition to empower citizens, increasing political trust, satisfaction with democracy and societal
cohesion, thus shaping the future of democracy in a world in transformation. To achieve this goal, INCITE-DEM
will pursue the following seven interrelated activities.

Project Activities

Historical Review

Incite-Dem aims at reviewing historical practices of political participation and civic engagement from the end of the WWII to today. The review will focus on sustainability-oriented participation and engagement.

Dialogue Tool

Incite-Dem will co-design a policy dialogue tool with policymakers, educators, students, and democratic initiatives. The tool will help to study trust building, polarisation, and consensus-seeking processes.

Evaluation of Democratic Innovation

An assessment of the democratic innovations, developed through democracy labs, through advanced analysis, choice experiments and interactive fora to establish how different participation and engagement processes can complement each other.

A Community of Practice

Incite-Dem will build on the wide participation of citizens and diverse stakeholder groups to spread its messages and contribute to a wide uptake of inclusive democratic innovations for socio-ecological transformation and wellbeing in Europe.

Understanding Key Conditions For Participation

An analysis of current societal trends in various aspects of participation and engagement. It will deepen our understanding of participation and engagement needs  in pursuit of a sustainable and sociocultural transformation.

Democracy Labs

A series of co-creation events, engaging citizens in proposing democratic innovations and solutions. In this way citizens will take part in proposing new democratic approaches.

Developing Policy Guidance & Roadmap

Incite-Dem will provide guidance on how to strengthen political participation and civic engagement and increase political trust and satisfaction with democracy to address socio-ecological challenges.

Comparative Case Studies Of Civic Participation And Engagement

Qualitative research, comparing (at least 15) case studies of different forms of civic participation and engagement, with attention to more vulnerable and disenfranchised segments of society.