6th LAB Metadecidim: Democratic innovation driven by simulated models (06/10/2017)

6th LAB Metadecidim: Democratic innovation driven by simulated models (06/10/2017)

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Next 6 October, at 09:30 – 11:30, it will be held the 6th session of LAB Metadecidim to explore the uses of simulated models for democratic innovation.

Abstract

21st century democracies face very complex challenges that require the mobilization of citizens. Participation emerges as a key way to catalyse collective intelligence and citizens’ action. However, not all participatory processes are able to do so.

Since democracy is a complex system, finding the conditions that favour such results is a major research challenge for the Decidim project. Mathematical models and computer simulations have achieved remarkable success in other disciplines of complex systems such as neuroscience, ecology or economics.

Participatory democracy also requires developing models about the dynamics that are developed in and around these processes, their conditions and the key factors. In the last years platforms such as Decidim have opened the possibility of extracting and using massive data about the dynamics of digital participation. This enables the generation of knowledge to improve democratic processes and potentially their results. Although the variety of factors involved in democratic processes is immense and the research in this discipline is in an incipient state (unlike some other disciplines). Therefore, it becomes fundamental to advance in the most relevant issues, to define the objectives, the limits and the methodologies required to model and to simulate democratic processes.

This LAB session will focus on the possibilities that simulated models have regarding new forms of participation through platforms such as Decidim. Exploring this question implies raising other issues and challenges, ranging from epistemics to ethics and politics.

Besides the LAB Metadecidim, on 5th October (18:00 – 20:00) it will be held another session of the Dedicim community (SOM) to work on the last issues of the Decidim’s annual event (JAM17) on 26th-28th October 2017.

Links:

LAB #METADECIDIM

SOM #METADECIDIM

JAM17