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Building bridges between Locals and Expats

Collective Intelligence Workshop Tools for Productive Discussion

Pianofabriek Fortstraat 35, 1060 St. Gillis

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BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN LOCALS AND EXPATS

THE TEAM ....................................................................................................................................... 3

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 4

FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................................. 5

PROGRAM ...................................................................................................................................... 6

BUFFER ACTIVITY ........................................................................................................................... 7

STARTING UP ................................................................................................................................ 11

GROUP WORK .............................................................................................................................. 11

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................................... 15

Theme: BUBBLES ................................................................................................................................ 19

Theme: RAINBOW .............................................................................................................................. 20

Theme: ENERGY ................................................................................................................................. 21

Theme: CULTURE ............................................................................................................................... 22

Theme: POLLUTION ............................................................................................................................ 23

Theme: GOVERNANCE ....................................................................................................................... 24

Theme: THE HEART ............................................................................................................................ 26

Theme: MOBILITY ............................................................................................................................... 27

Theme: BUREAUCRACY ...................................................................................................................... 29

EVALUATION ................................................................................................................................ 30

CLOSING REMARKS ...................................................................................................................... 31

ANNEXES ...................................................................................................................................... 32

Annex I - PARTICIPANT CHARACTERIZATION ..................................................................................... 33

Annex II - KEY FACTORS FOR SUCCESS: Training ................................................................................ 35

Annex III - GROUP DYNAMICS: Counterintuitive Thinking for Concept ............................................. 41

Annex IV - PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT FORM .................................................................................... 44

Annex V - EVALUATION ...................................................................................................................... 45

Annex VI - CONSCIOUS PARTICIPATION METHOD ............................................................................. 50

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Organization (content): Independent Citizens

• Guilherme Serôdio

• Miguel Magalhães

• Guy Janssen

• Davide Castro

• Franzis Wimmer

• Erik Edman

• Marie Naas

• Betina Alonso

Support (process/methodology): wTeamUp

• Lia Vasconcelos

• Fávia Silva

• Filipa Ferreira

• Fábio Cardona

• José Carlos Ferreira

www.wteamup.com

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The Workshop Building bridges between Locals and Expats - Collective Intelligence Workshop,

Tools for Productive Discussion was led in Brussels on April 1st 2017 in Pianofabriek, Fortstraat 35,

1060 St. Gillis.

Launched by a group of Independent Citizens in closed articulation with wTeamUp, the workshop

aimed at 3 main objectives:

- Empowerment (learn how to do)

- Action (Do it: co-design policy proposals)

- Reflection (rethink the relationship with power and money)

The fact that two teams – one focused on the content (topics, objectives and outcomes, framing

the discussion), and the other focused on process/methods (rules, timekeeping, security

framework) – proved to be prone for success.

The workshop took place from 10 am to 6.30 pm and involved a total of 37 participants from 17

nationalities, being 1/3 Belgian and 2/3 of other nationalities. The participants average age was

approx. 40 years, and 80% were female (Annex I).

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There is a Citizen Spring blooming in Europe, with strides for more participatory democracy that

offer relevant and viable alternatives to the also emergent nationalism and populism.

In Brussels, with its vibrant civil society, much still needs to be done for this political alternative to

become mainstream.

It was to start doing it that a group of citizens decided to organize low-budget, meaningful

conversations, with practical political outcomes.

This opportunity was spotted when the Flemish Minister for Culture, Youth, Media and Brussels and

the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles organized citizen cabinets to collect ideas and proposals from

Brussels inhabitants – and committed to champion the results. This offered a political opening to

try to get a sense of Brussel’ inhabitants interest in engaging in politics and collective decision

making.

This document offers an overview of the organization of the event, the logistical and

methodological rationales and needs, the implementation techniques and challenges, the

outcomes of the exercise and the lessons learned in the process.

The idea is to give a sense of what is possible to do and achieve when combining collective

intelligence activation and a political mandate for implementation. It offers simple facilitation and

organization techniques to help people collaborate in policy making, and supports the emergence

of grassroots movements everywhere.

“Winter is coming”, but so is our Spring - and Brussels is blooming.

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10h00 - 10h30

Welcome / Participants Registration

Buffer Activity: HOW DO WE LIVE BRUSSELS?

10h30 - 13h00 Welcome Remarks

Conscious Participation (€)

Key Factors for Success: training on collective intelligence activation

12h00 - 12h15 Feedback: buffer activity

12h15 - 13h00 Group Work: Simplified SWOT

13h00 - 14h00 LUNCH

14h00 - 15h30 Group Work: Simplified SWOT (cont.)

15h30 - 18h00 Proposal Development:

- Dynamic World Café

- Marketing and Communication Proposal

- Proposal Pitch Development

18h00 - 18h30 Closing remarks

Conscience Participation

Evaluation

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HOW DO WE LIVE BRUSSELS

The workshop was initiated with an individual activity requesting people to think and respond to

three questions to understand “HOW DO WE LIVE BRUSSELS”. Participants were identified as Locals

(raised or live for more than ten years in Brussels) and Expats.

1. Why do you live in Brussels?

EXPATS LOCALS

✓ Because I like the city! To be closer to family.

✓ I felt that, for its diversity, dynamic and opportunities, this was really the best city to discover my passion and potential (studying there now).

✓ Work + “best compromise” + love the city.

✓ Because I love it.

✓ I moved to Brussels because of work.

✓ I am studying my masters in architecture and wanted to experience the diversity in Brussels.

✓ Because I was proposed a job here.

✓ Work.

✓ I moved here because of work and the internationality of the city.

✓ In search for self-realization (professional opportunities).

✓ I live in Brussels because my job transferred me here. I was happy to make the move as I love living in Europe.

✓ I am lucky to have around me a number of people who challenge me to experience this city in many ways. I’m involved in different project (civil society), I’m doing my MA, I go to concerts, enjoy the sun (!!).

✓ Very complex, sometimes hard to navigate in with complex social fibre and cleavages. “The perfect place to be, challenging to live in, hard to escape” BXL.

✓ I found a great job opportunity here while in my

✓ By chance really, came 24 years ago to learn French… but it now feels like home… think we have a good quality of life here.

✓ Because it is home for me and I love Brussels and Belgium.

✓ Came for work and to empower my French. Stayed because it’s one of the few places in the world where I can live many sides of me.

✓ Partially because I’m Belgium, this is the best interesting city. I love the plurality of everything: languages, cultures, humans. I love the “laissez faire” mentality. The whole world is here.

✓ For the architecture, lecture. I love living like a king (before cramped in Amsterdam + Paris).

✓ Because I work here.

✓ It is close from where I use to live.

✓ The only region in my country that has the two main natural languages… and many more.

✓ My father had a job in Brussels when I was 7 years old. I have lived here 13 years then lived in other countries, then came back. Why? For the people, for the opportunities, for my job.

✓ Because I was born here and I am working here.

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country there was nothing for young people.

✓ Firstly work! Now to be honest no idea!

✓ Because I passed the EPSO exam for European Commission.

✓ To give roots to my 50% Belgium kids.

✓ Family and friends.

✓ Work principally, then friends, then relationship.

✓ To be closer to family. Because I can’t afford London. Because I had property here.

✓ Working reason.

✓ I came here for love. My boyfriend is Belgium a he left German for him 3 years ago.

✓ I come here to study and decided to stay.

✓ It’s how the city we as a family.

✓ Choose to stay in. I’m Scottish/Husband Flemish. Great schools/education and healthcare. Great People! Love the multicultural aspect.

✓ I’m a Bruxelloise. Adopted Bruxelloise.

✓ My mom and dad live here.

✓ Family and friends and work.

2. How do you experience Brussels?

What do you think of the city? What is your favourite way to enjoy it? Would you recommend it for living in? Why/why not? And for how long? How would you describe the city in one sentence, if you had to explain it to your best friend?

EXPATS LOCALS

✓ Love Brussels for its variety and openness and sometimes surreal approach;

✓ I very much enjoy living here, i think it’s a very welcoming city

✓ Bruxelles is a dynamic city and offers a lot of possibilities for cultural events, workshops, conferences, etc. I try to be involved as much as i can ☺

✓ Open, tolerant, a little crazy, diverse

✓ Bxl is a dynamic city, diverse, fun, friendly open, although facing problems such as pollution, bad reputation. Would recommend it for its “welcomeness”. Needs some help thinking out the cage.

✓ It’s a love and hate relationship.

✓ Small, chaotic. Cute. Cosmopolitan. European.

✓ The most unorganized and bureaucratic city I have lived in!!!

✓ The city has it all, but i cannot feel its personality and i feel lost for references. I like the fact that it has many green areas. The city is architecturally handsome and culturally segmented.

✓ I love that I tis so international and diverse. After a while you get to know the city and you discover that there is much more than the euro-bubble (e.g. arts\cultural events. I tis tough that there is so much movement (people leaving the whole time). “Diverse, lively, fascinating”

✓ Affordable, small enough to be liveable, always changing…. Sometimes frustrated

✓ Very diverse, hots of opportunist to meet too reach

culture 😊 never manage to see everything suffers from board air. Lots to do better mobility.

✓ Ça bouge! (it’s moving all the time) International, surprising, multicultural, polluted, filthy, never finished, raw, vibrant, lets to do and experience.

✓ I like Brussels for its diversity and the different atmospheres in each neighbourhood

✓ It is a great city to live and work in huge diversity of cultural; a political opportunity and experience. I tis cosmopolitan, exciting, endlessly interesting!

✓ Enjoy the diversity vibrant, opportunity to connect with different people.

✓ Cosmopolitan! I love the mix of languages and culture in Brussels, there is so much to see, do and learn.

✓ After many years (17), I’ve learnt how to “navigate” in the city. I practice “active listening” towards the city,

✓ Chaotic, charming, diverse, need to live work and talk with began people at least 3years to

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✓ Experience it in silos - offer a love-relationship. I experience it mainly through people and it has a sense of familiarity compared to anywhere else I have lived.

✓ One sentence: Brussel sis very cosmopolitan, but in a non-overwhelming way (compared to NYC). Brussels has so much potential and there are lots to do… but it’s difficult to find one’s niche. The niche exists, but it takes time and effort to find it. I enjoy Brussels mostly by checking out bars.

✓ With love and frustration. I tis a hot (beautiful + exciting) mess

✓ It is dirty. Strong lack of organisation (worse than south European countries). Low quality of life)

✓ Yes, I enjoy it and I recommend it to people like me who like art and food. I worry about air – pollution a lot.

✓ The city is not expensive compared to Paris, Amsterdam and London

✓ Dynamic city, diverse, fun, friendly.

✓ Has pollution and bad reputation. Would recommend it for its “welcomeness”

understand and enjoy this city and this country.

✓ Comfortable. The right size. Sometimes frustrating (dirty, inefficient…)

✓ I like it but want it to be cleanse, more green space to play.

✓ Meetups, bars, events, farness, re.think, the sun time.

✓ Loss of opportunity to bridge people together! Diverse, multicultural - we need to work more bottom-up approach as a city- with politicians.

✓ Diverse, laid, back, mixed, grey, hilly, artsy. You can (almost) get out in your pyjamas and it is still ok. Try that in Paris!!!...

✓ Schizo -good!

3. Do you feel connected to the city and its inhabitants?

What do you think of its habitants, the way you are received and approached in the streets, business, parties, work? Do you have Belgian friends? Flemish/Walloon? (If not, why?) If yes, where did you meet them and how?

EXPATS LOCALS

✓ Not really, only hang out with expats. Otherwise I feel very outsiders to the city and inhabitants.

✓ I feel more connected to the city them the inhabitants.

✓ I know a couple Belgians, all through work. Most of my friends are work friends (I have only been here 6 months). I mostly meet expats otherwise. Most are opens, welcoming and looking to meet friends themselves, I don’t feel connected… yet.

✓ No, I hardly know only locals.

✓ Almost only positive experience with locals- both sides (eu-bubble + locals). Locals love their city and tag to advertise it. Expats should be more open to it.

✓ No. I don’t speak good French o I only hang out with expats like me. People are always coming and going in my “bubble”.

✓ Just like in every foreign city I have lived in I am only mostly connected to other expats.

✓ I feel more connected with expats community than

✓ Yes-because I speak the languages, I live near the centre; I socialize with Belgians and expats.

✓ Yes, I work with them. Built projects with them, with both sides and I’m a Brussels lover.

✓ Yes! I\we Re active citizen who engage at all levels with top\down bottom up. Local level we engage.

✓ In general yes. I don’t really feel any “closed communities” in this city.

✓ Yes I feel connected to some of the dimensions but not all. I have Belgian friends and I am now Belgian.

✓ Definitely, it is easy to connect to everyone, to meet up. Don’t feel munch connections to BXL politicians.

✓ Yes, but could be better, for me. Certainly due also to a lock of time.

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local inhabitants even if I use to “try” to approach them.

✓ Complex inhabitants, friendly expats, rather conservative locals. I have a Flemish friend (met her white volunteering) have some Bxl friends (more or less) from aports.

✓ Yes, I do feel connected with the city, but more with these styling here for a limited period of time (like myself) than with Belgians from Brussels in the strict sense.

✓ People are lovely and welcoming but it is at times tough to find local friends.

✓ I feel connected in as much as I am connected to my friends and partner. I often feel proud to return to Brussels because it’s a small city because it’s not London and because it’s still “abroad” and not my home country.

✓ Connected through favourite places. Few best friends and our daughter.

✓ Only been here for 5 months but feel that people are very welcoming.

✓ Yes, with occasional bad feelings of isolation or other things don’t worth the way they should.

✓ Also, depends on setting more commitments.

✓ Very much so through associations, kid’s school heaps of cultural, local politics.

✓ I feel more and more connected to the space but unfortunately I do back a common sense of community annual mutual inclusion.

✓ More connected or comfortable. If you have different ideas, changing ideas you are an outsider.

✓ I try to connect with local people participating in volunteering activities.

✓ Yes! Brussels small and big at the same time so much people are connected by I’m constantly making new connectives too.

✓ Have Belgian friends yes, (no a huge numbers) know my neighbourhood somewhat too.

✓ But it takes work to integrate. I think that’s my responsibility… to engage, contribute.

✓ Totally. Love to be amongst fellow lost – souls.

✓ Increasingly so, but even as a Belgian, easier to connect to expats than other Belgians.

✓ I like that you can need people from all over the world. Through my hobbies and living situations. I have international friends. For me it’s a challenge to find other friends beside my Flemish ones, Brussels is still very much separated.

✓ Yes, I feel connected. I am quite well involved in activities have amongst communities and connected to policy makers.

✓ Yes, I have Belgian friends but not a huge number. Know my neighbour somewhat too.

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The morning session was initiated with the Welcome Remarks explaining the reasons for the

workshop, with a short introduction to Conscience Participation. This was followed by a training

period calling the attention of the participants for the Key Factors for Success crucial for the

construction of collective intelligence (Annex II). The exercises given to the participants intended to

create a dynamic and constructive context and operate indirectly as Counterintuitive Thinking for

Concept Building (Annex III). A brief explanation was given regarding the size of the groups for the

specific objectives to be work out in each stage of the process.

At the end of the training session feedback was given to the participants, either on the content of

the results of the participant’s contribution in the buffer activity, as well as on the reasons for it.

Participants were organized in tables of 4 by type of actor (Local/Expat) and 4 tables were

composed by Locals and 5 by Expats. This session was structured into two phases, one for collection

of specific information and the second a Simplified SWOT based on the results of the table dialogue

on specific questions.

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First round

How do you inform yourself about the city and its activities?

The idea here was to understand how participants got the information on the city and its activities. The information was collected by table and is identified as Locals and Expats.

EXPATS SOURCE LOCALS

3 Agenda.brussels 2

- BRAL | Citizens Action Brussels 1

- Brussels life 1

3 Bruzz Agenda 3

- Connection with cultural centres / Cultural meet 3

- Entrepreneurship events 1

- Eventbrite 1

4 Facebook 3

4 Flyers / Posters / Brochures / Zines 2

2 Google -

1 Less from the city’s website, and definitely not commune websites -

4 Media (Local TV, Radio, Magazine, Metro newspaper) -

3 Meetup -

1 Networking events 1

5 Newsletters 1

- Political events 1

- Reinventing Brussels 1

- School communication / parents network 1

- Serve the city (volunteer organization) 1

2 Social Media (Indymedia Bxl: socially engaged events -demonstration) 1

1 Stib twitter -

1 Tourist info -

- Use trusted place (pubs) 1

4 Websites (Quefaire.be, Meetup.com, Map Dewey, QUEFaire.com, Wattedoen.be)

/ Cultural websites / Organisations websites 5

11 Word of mouth (talking/listen to people: friends, acquaintances, colleagues, locals,

passer-by, etc.) 5

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Second round

In the second phase each group brainstormed and discussed what is attractive and not attractive

about Brussels and they had to select 3 of each to present afterwards.

What is attractive about Brussels?

- Dialogue in groups to define 3 ideas (green and yellow post its)

Legend: Expats contributions (Blue) and Locals contributions (Brownish)

TITTLE POST-ITS VOTES

Rainbow

- Great diversity +choice in manageable size

- Cosmopolitan/diverse

- A diversity/ cosmopolitan

- Diversity (multicultural, multilingual, multiple activities…)

- “Diversity” diverse cosmopolitan city tolerant 4 difference laisser faire.

- Vibrant city: diversity in terms of international cultural political dynamics.

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Energy

- Positive energy + “can do” attitude

- Evolutionary spirit

- Citizen initiatives (lots of them)

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Culture

- “Cultural life”/quality of life…. Concerts, museums, food culture, café life, green space, creativity, parks

- Culture offer: diverse, free, excellent

- Culture life (high and low)

- Events/arts/cuisine

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The heart

- Friendly, open and welcoming people

- Connectivity, unpretentious, welcoming

- Welcoming, embracing, reinvigorating

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Quality of life - Quality of life

- Quality of life: healthcare, cost of living, diversity, education 6

Location

- Accessibility – geographic (not to big)

- Accessibility (geographic only! Location, well connected)

- Great location for easy travel to many destinations

5

Money

- Affordable

- “affordability” (relative)- affordable, quality of housing, living space/pus good health care access

- Cost of living: affordable: – housing (compared to others cities) – cultural activities (ticket prices)

5

Scale

- Human size

- Human scale/ city live (manageable, charming, rich cultural diversity and heritage…)

- Socioeconomic (low barriers, low hierarchy)

4

Ugly-beautiful - The ugly beautiful nature of the city 3

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What is not attractive about Brussels?

- Dialogue in groups to define 3 ideas (orange and pink post its)

Legend: Expats contributions (Blue) and Locals contributions (Brownish)

TITTLE POST-ITS VOTES

Bubbles

- Fragmentation of policy; lack of communication

- “Parallel societies” diverse but not “melting pot” lack of integration across communities, latter foot education/school places depending on who you are.

- Bubbles - people stay in their group

- Integration

- Socially fragmented: extreme differences in quality of life; language barriers; hard to feel connected

- Mutual feeling of exclusion between locals and foreigners due to lack communication

- Lack of unity between neighbourhoods, inequities and “segregation” between communities

- Non cohesion of the multiculturality

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Pollution - Pollution and greyness

- Air pollution 20

Governance

- Political organization

- Lack of common strategic vision (politics, police, fragmented/multilayers of city politics communication)_governance

- Governance

- “Institutional spaghetti” lack communication between communes, with institutions to approach about what? Integration of all committees, languages groups lacking

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Mobility

- Mobility infrastructure

- Transportation

- Traffic (pollution, congestion, infrastructure of tunnels, public spaces, safety)

- Urban mobility – over-use of cars, noise (certain areas), lack of bike lanes air quality

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Bureaucracy - Inefficient and indifferent administrative and public services

- Bureaucracy – Kafkaesque situations with administration 9

Dirt(y)

- Dirt (cleanliness of the city as a whole, garbage collection, dog pooh, empty, broken shop facades, lade of info subsides for local area improvement)

- Dirty-way rubbish is collected etc. Not hygienic

- Dirty-streets air smells

- Environment: Dirty streets; garbage collection; distribution of green spaces

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Rudeness - Lack of respect for public rules and social connections 3

The lack of quality of life

- Quality of life 2

Decay - Brussels feeling going downhill decay 2

Lack of innovation

- Lack of innovation / pioneering 2

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Theme Selection

The themes were selected from the cloud structuring of the previous activity including attractive

and non-attractive issues, collecting the most voted ones. Two got even number of votes, for that

there was a need to tie up: Bureaucracy - 14 votes; Dirt(y) - 5 votes.

The team covered each table with paper, and wrote the name of one elected topic in each table, in

a total of 9.

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Then, each participant chose a new table by selecting the theme that they want to work further for

the proposal. The tables had 4 chairs that once occupied the group was completed and ready to go.

Dynamic World Café

After all the groups were sited on the tables, they were challenged to reflect and contribute having

in mind the following question: How can we strengthen the city? Then all of them were invited to

visit at least 3 tables and spend 5 minutes per table. In each table they had to briefly discuss with

the other people around the table about the theme and draw on the paper covering the table

comments, graphics, drawings, schemes, keywords, short sentences.

This Synopsis Contribution by Table was to be used by the group that had selected the theme. After

this round all of them return to their original selected table to work the theme taking into account

the notes on the table left by all the others visiting their table.

At the start of this exercise people did not understand the explanation and, therefore they were

contributing just writing without making groups and discuss the issues. The facilitator had to

intervene and request them to do it differently, and follow the rules of the methodology.

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Proposal Writing:

To develop the proposal the groups were requested to fill in a form with the following information:

Theme; Title (Attractive / Inspiring); Goal / Objective; How to get there?; Who to involve?; How to

involve? (Annex IV). The participants were given 30 minutes to discuss and draft the proposal,

having in mind the contributions left on the table, and 10 minutes to registered the final version in

the form.

Marketing and Communication Proposal

Sell your idea!

Draw, make a scheme, right keywords or short sentences…

When the form was filled in they were invited to prepare a visual support for their proposal,

defending it as the best of all and why, and communicating their idea to all the others in a more

graphic way.

After all this was done the participants presented their proposal to each other. The results of this

work is shown below in a systematic way

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Proposal Presentation: Pitch Development When all the tables finish the work and were ready to pursue, they were given the opportunity to

present their ideas to all the participants presented in the room, that could, after each

presentation, question, get clarifications and debate.

In the next pages you can find the proposals developed in the session, structured in four

components: Photo of the table of the World Café, contents of the proposal (form transcription),

poster of marketing and communication and plenary notes.

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TITLE (ATTRACTIVE / INSPIRING)

GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?

WHO TO INVOLVE? HOW TO INVOLVE?

PLENARY NOTES

Building Bridges Centre

The Building Bridges Centre (like a post Brexit BBC :) will connect locals and expats in Brussels

✓ Create a physical space (like a Belgian Cultural Centre) with the purpose of fostering cooperation,

skills building, knowledge sharing, opportunities, cultural events.

✓ Use a buddy system to connect every expat with a Belgian (adopt an expat)

✓ Combine the physical space with a platform website

✓ Brussels Region ✓ European Funding ✓ Private Sources ✓ Expat Community and organisations

✓ Brussels Region ✓ European Funding ✓ Private Sources ✓ Expat Community and organisations

THEME

Create a “Building Bridges Centre”

• Dedicated centre for events, meetings, events for connecting locals and expat communities ✓ Floor 1:Café and welcome helpdesk ✓ Brochures, flyers, posters for creating businesses, social issues etc. ✓ Floor 2: Permanent offices for organisations that help bridging locals and expats ✓ Floor 3: Workshops, classes and meeting rooms ✓ Floor 4: Cultural activities

• Create a website as a central platform with information

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


PLENARY NOTES

Bridging Different Communities of BXL

Build and support networking for women across communities (Expat, BXL, Refugees, migrants, Dutch speaking, French speaking, etc.) Together develop ideas for improving life for Women in Bxl.

✓ Use existing maison culturelle / cultureel centrum structures ✓ Connecting with existing citizens’ initiatives, ♀ groups, etc. ✓ Events to discover culture, food, languages, etc. ✓ Mentoring programs ✓ Collective intelligence forums to break barriers and create ideas

✓ Brussels, Belgian, European and other ♀ groups ✓ Cultural centres, Brussels City ✓ Artists, media, etc. to bring issues to light ✓ ♀ living in Brussels ✓ Refugee, migrant, citizens, expat, etc. groups

✓ Organise a launch event with diverse food and drinks

✓ Connecting groups together

THEME

Bring communities together ✓ Bring women together, as a way to bring Brussels together ✓ Many women’s groups across Brussels, let’s mobilise them in one initiative ✓ Events to discover different cuisines, cultures, arts etc. ✓ Citizens are interested: we just need to give them opportunities to use their energy ✓ Food and drink as the original event to bring people together

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


PLENARY NOTES

Particitizens

Channel Collective Action for the Common Good

By organising pilot projects move progressively through the following phases: ✓ Map existing initiatives ✓ Create an on-line platform ✓ Establish a clearing house that connects those who have ideas / questions / needs with those who

have experience / knowledge / resources ✓ Build a physical network of ambassadors in every street of Brussels

✓ Existing activists, experts ✓ People with demands or needs ✓ Groups with experience ✓ Ambassadors in every street ✓ Everybody in Brussels

✓ Send out calls for participation ✓ Use existing initiatives like the sofa-

dialogues

THEME

Citizen participation

• Platform with different levels of action and projects

• Existing actors: provide information on what you might already need ✓ Ambassadors: physical assistance for those seeking to create initiatives

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


PLENARY NOTES

Createasily (Creation with Facilitation)

Providing Artists with constant revenues and social protection

✓ Develop a creative cooperative on a membership basis that provides legal, logistical and financial support to Brussels based artists.

✓ Fiscal education and fiscal support ✓ Creating a policy recognising this body as an official entity to represent artists and artisans at

legal, economical, cultural and international levels.

✓ Artists ✓ Legal Experts / Lawyers ✓ Accountants ✓ Local Authorities ✓ International cultural organisations ✓ Cultural / creative education systems

✓ Creating a register for artists ✓ Providing legal and financial support to

artists in the framework of the cooperative

✓ Creating a platform for artists and artisans to raise awareness and structure agendas

THEME

“Createasily” ✓ Big issue in Belgium regarding artists: many institutions and groups (often divided culturally or by

language) ✓ In order to help artists create more and not destroy their creativity: they need legal, fiscal and

social support ✓ Create a creative cooperative at a local level to offer this support to artists regardless of their

economic situation or nationality ✓ Stakeholders: artists, local governments, legal professionals, international organizations

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


PLENARY NOTES

Healthy Air for Healthy Citizens

Meeting WHO Guidelines / Standards for Clean Air

✓ Ban Diesel Vehicles by 2020 (for cars, vans, buses, trucks, etc.) ✓ Increase Public Awareness of Health Impacts of Air Pollution (Brought on by woodburning,

fireplaces, care use, etc.) ✓ Emissions monitoring board, coupled with immediate response / measures ✓ Road charging / congestion tax ✓ More car-free zones and days (especially low-emissions zones e.g. hospitals, schools, public

service zones) ✓ Remove incentives for company cars (more incentives for public transport) ✓ Carbon-reducing eco-solutions (more trees, green spaces, vegetation on buildings) ✓ Shift public finance to green investment (green bonds, fossil fuel divestment, etc.) ✓ Enforce car idling ban

✓ Car Users ✓ Schools ✓ Companies: Employees, logistics ✓ Authorities: Municipalities, Regions, Federal ✓ Health Professionals + Organisations (Cancer

Awareness Groups) ✓ Consumers

✓ Awareness-Raising Campaigns

✓ Kid Pooling

✓ Company Pooling

✓ Involve people in bottom-up solutions

THEME

✓ Electric vehicles, bikes and walks ✓ Kids have many options for outdoor activity ✓ Attracted green investment through tourism: everyone wants to visit! ✓ Making a city green is not just good for the citizens, it’s good for the economy

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


Building a Citizen’s Parliament For Brussels

To Build a more inclusive, active, participatory, democracy and society, connecting solutions for all communities to each other and to decision makers (Those in Power Within, Power With, Power To Change.)

✓ Convene a diverse group of 150 active citizens tasked to develop a citizens’ engagement strategy around themes, issues, solutions and processes (e.g. Design Theory, Citizens Lab.)

✓ Integrate the ideas and solutions into municipal and regional election platforms in 2019 as well as into programmes, funding and innovation by citizens.

✓ Activate a randomly selected citizens’ parliament for Brussels, convened around finding solutions beyond the institutional spaghetti. This parliament needs to be properly resourced and supported.

✓ Active Citizens’ Groups from diverse interests, issues, and communities

✓ Brussels and Belgian Institutions, political parties

✓ EU institutions ✓ European examples of

similar initiatives ✓ Academics and experts

✓ Linking with existing experiences and initiatives in Europe and Belgium

✓ Contacting all parties and institutions ✓ Use the incredible cultural and financial resources in

Brussels ✓ Seek support from Belgian and EU Philanthropists ✓ Festival of alternative governance “Hack Brussels” ✓ Civil Education ✓ Women of the World Festival ✓ Activate foreigners as an active political force in Brussels

THEME

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PLENARY NOTES

Institutional spaghetti: Parliament for citizens

✓ Create a parliament for the citizens of Brussels ✓ Convene a diverse group of Brussels citizens (different sexes, socio-economic backgrounds, ages

etc.) ✓ Bring people together over issues that bring us together ✓ Cross-party, citizens’ initiative ✓ Can attract money from philanthropists and other institutions

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


PLENARY NOTES

Mobile Sofa-In-Action Units

Creating appreciative mind-sets: Provide spaces (mobile) to allow local interconnectivity in the city appearing in different locations.

✓ The city purchases several mobile sofa-in-action units: heart-shaped sofa with cushioned top. Modular so it can easily transported. Centre of the sofa can be filled to use it as a stage.

✓ Start Sofa Dialogues: themes relevant to the neighbourhood are discussed and broadcast ✓ Interactive WIFI platform + Bar to connect people ✓ FB Group ✓ Send-Love-Button: to send a message to local counsellors.

✓ Brussels city government ✓ Communes ✓ Brussels Together Organisation

✓ By moving the Sofa to a neighbourhood, the activities in the area will start and will attract attention.

✓ Websites announce activities ✓ Broadcast of discussions on web and local radio

THEME

Mobile sofa-in-action unit ✓ Can be bought by residents ✓ A big heart-shaped bench ✓ Appears in different places in the city (times and dates to appear on website)

o People see it and can go and connect with their community o Can propose topics for discussion

✓ Music unit integrated to attract people ✓ Wifi also part of bench ✓ Can incorporate stage unto the bench for people to present art and other projects ✓ Use as a tool to get people together ✓ Clever design assures transportability

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


Improving Connectivity and Reducing Congestion

Promote soft / sustainable mobility through incentives, infrastructure and technology and discourage car use through disincentives.

Incentives 1. Subsidy for e-bikes 2. Park and ride outside BXL 3. Point system for using bikes, to get rewards or exchange for an incentive

Infrastructure 1. Park and Ride spaces 2. Cycling lanes / pedestrian paths 3. Policing the bike lanes (fines) 4. Virtual soft mobility network 5. New bus line connections 6. Connect Villo to e-bike 7. App to find the easiest and fastest way to move through BXL

✓ Local Commune ✓ JZDecaux ✓ STIB-MIVB ✓ Commuters ✓ Pro-Velo, GRACQ ✓ Police ✓ Environment BXL ✓ Disability Forums

✓ Organize meetings ✓ Change to E-bike incentives ✓ Collaborative planning of busnetwork ✓ Communication plan to create awareness ✓ Research and testing ✓ Training and capacity ✓ Data collection on Impact

THEME

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PLENARY NOTES

Brussels on the move ✓ Better connection and less congestion ✓ Improve connection between groups and communities, while improving air quality and

environment ✓ Use of technology (app that connects all apps: mobib and vilo etc.) and electronic bikes (for

difficult parts of the city) and get rid of heavy Vilos ✓ Receive incentives: get rewards for using bikes, walking etc. and lose points every time you use

your car ✓ Commuters: disincentives for those driving into the city and stop incentivising companies to give

employees cars, as well as incentives (park and ride spaces etc.)

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GOAL / OBJECTIVE

HOW TO GET THERE?


PLENARY NOTES

Make Bureaucracy Fun. Click click and it’s done!

Revolutionise Belgian Bureaucracy and make it efficient user / customer friendly

✓ Harmonise the administrative procedures for all 19 communes ✓ Upgrade and modernise public services through digitization and e-service platforms ✓ Design an application for one-stop-shop services (all forms, info, certificates, etc.) ✓ Train civil servants in service mindedness ✓ 24/7 helpdesk

✓ End-users ✓ Civil servants ✓ App Designers ✓ Coaches like Steve Jobs or Oprah to bring

about change and deliver a mentality shift

✓ Surveys / questionnaires to end-users ✓ Serious obligatory training ✓ Irresistible offer to coaches ✓ Search for IT specialist (preferably from

Estonia :)

THEME

Become customer-friendly and efficient ✓ Develop an app ✓ One-stop shop website ✓ Make bureaucracy fun again! ✓ Use Estonia as an example: tax returns in 35 seconds! ✓ Harmonise the processes ✓ Training and coaches public workers to a more service-friendly attitude ✓ Inspire workers: get inspirational coaches ✓ Get feedback from citizens about what needs to be improves

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At the end participants were requested to answer a brief evaluation. Out of the 37 participants, 22

answer the evaluation (Annex V) as follow:

In general, several mentioned the need for communication of the objectives, the purpose and the

follow up to be clearer, and referred negatively to the acoustics of the room as one of the things

they dislike. Facilitation was viewed by some as great while others complained about it. A drawback

of this had probably to do with the acoustics of the room. Also an ice breaker, as suggested by one

of the participants, could have played a great role here.

A group of them is really concerned with the follow up and even offer themselves to solve part of

the needs for it (e.g., room). They also offered a range of suggestions for improvement for the next

workshop.

A substantial number of participants enjoy the meeting and the words most used for that were

Energy, Great Ideas, Creativity, Constructive, Productive, Inspiring, and Positive Concepts. Several

of them congratulate the team for the initiative and are queen that this does not stop here. They

enjoy the diversity and the exchange of ideas and the networking. One of the respondents said

that:

“This is a strong added value for initiatives like this that can really contribute to

shape new policies and laws supporting local/central governments. This represents

the future of tomorrow’s politics: constructive bottom-ups approach”.

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This was our first attempt crossing collective intelligence activation with policy making, in a way

that:

1) Empowers people, teaching them HOW to activate the collective intelligence of groups

(work, projects, etc.);

2) Connects meaningful conversations with practical political outcomes (policy proposals

presented and championed by the sponsoring politicians);

3) Invites to reflect on the relations we currently have with power and money (by

demonstrating alternative policy making methods, and experimenting with conscious

participation - Annex VI).

It was a challenging endeavour; an experience ran by volunteers to test the grounds for more

engaged participation. And it was a success. 100 registrations in less than a month, around €450 in

donations, a sudden network of engaged citizens.

We created human, social, political and intellectual capital and expect to capitalize on it in the

weeks to come, exploring networks, finding new political openings, and trying to replicate the event

and the impact in an ever-higher scale.

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Key Facts and Figures:

The workshop saw a total of 37 participants and a very diverse representation in terms of

nationalities and age. Participation was less balanced in terms of gender with 80% of the

participants being female. Please find the key facts and figures below:

✓ Total number of 37 Participants

✓ 1/3 Belgian and 2/3 of Other Nationalities

✓ Participants from 17 Nationalities

✓ 80% of the participants were Female

✓ Average Age of the participants was approx. 40 years

Number of Participants by Nationality

Graphic 1: Numbers of participants in the workshop by nationality.

Albanian/Italian, 1

Belgian, 9

Belgian/ Burundian, 1

Belgian/Birtish, 1British, 3

Estonian, 1Finnish, 1French, 1

German, 6

Italian, 2

Jamaican/USA, 1

Latvian, 1

Portuguese, 1

Romanian, 2

Salvadorian , 1South Korea, 1 USA, 1

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Graphic 2: Participation by gender, in percentage (%), in the workshop.

Graphic 3: Participation by age group, in percentage (%), in the workshop.

80%

20%

Paticipation by Gender in %

Female

Male

22%

41%

33%

4%

Partcipation by Age Group in %

20-29 years

30-39 years

40-50 Years

>50 years

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Exercise 1

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Exercise 2

THE 167 …

When did these people become a group?

Seven persons met in the bus stop at the morning rush hour close to the Almada Forum, to wait for

the 1671bus.

After a while, at the end of the street the bus shows up. People get ready, the ones reading the

newspaper folded it and put it under the arm, the ones with passes put them at hand, and

attentively all wait for the vehicle. This comes close, slows down, but does not stop though it is not

full. Everybody looks at each other puzzled but no one express themselves. Individually all decide to

wait for the next one, and get to their initial posture.

A second bus shows up ten minutes after, it gets close, once more everybody move to be prepare

when it stops. The transport gets closer but does not even slow down. Once more it was not full.

Everybody agitate nervously but no one says anything.

Now it is the turn for the third bus that after 15 minutes emerge from the corner. The number is

once again confirmed, it is the 167 and this time totally empty. It gets closer but the sign panel says

out of service, therefore it does not stop. The agitation of the ones waiting for the 167 raises once

again, and they start commenting on the uncommon of the situation complaining that they area

already late for their jobs.

Five minutes after, a fourth bus shows up, also 167, the users in the bus stop agitate with a certain

relief looking apprehensively to the watches. The bus gets closer to the line shows an intention to

stop, but suddenly speeds up and does not stop.

It is at this point that a man in the beginning of the line, that had already finish the reading of the

newspaper when the second bus had passed by, turns to the others and proposes to form a human

chain to prevent the next bus to pass without stopping.

And ten minutes after a 167 at the turn of the curve. The users get organized and the human chain

forces it to stop. People enter furiously in the vehicle and occupy their places. When, later on, the

first person leaves the bus, turns to the others and before going down the stairs, and says:

Tomorrow we do not wait for the second bus to take measures.

When did people become a group?

After the first, second, third bus ...? WHY?

1 Bus route Fórum – Caparica

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Group Definitions

Objectives: A group exists for a reason. People meet to attain objectives impossible to attain

individually.

Interdependence: A group can be defined as a collection of individuals that depend, until a certain

point, one from the others. According to this definition the individuals are not a group unless an

issue that affects one of the members affects all of them.

Interpersonal Interaction: A group can be defined as a number of individuals that interact one with

the others. In accordance with this definition a group does not exist unless the individuals interact

with each other.

Perception of Being Member: A group can be defined as a social unit consisting in two or more

persons that see themselves as part of the group. In accordance with this definition persons are not

members of the group, unless they see themselves as such.

Structured Relations: A group can be defined as a collection of individuals whose interactions are

structured by a set of roles and norms. In accordance with this definition, individuals are not a

group, unless their interactions are structured by a set of definitions and norms.

Mutual Influence: A group can be defined as a collection of individuals that influence each other.

Individuals are not a group, unless they affected or are affected ones by the others.

Motivation: A group can be defined as a collection of individuals that are trying to satisfy a specific

personal need through a joint association. According to this definition, the individuals are not a

group, unless they are motivated by a personal reason to be part of the group.

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WHAT DID I LIKE THE MOST

ENERGY, IDEAS, CREATIVITY, POSITIVE CONCEPTS, CONSTRUCTIVE, PRODUCTIVE, INSPIRING

✓ Energy

✓ Great ideas and positive concepts

✓ All the engagements! We´re together for 8 hours on a Saturday and was so much energy and creativity in the room

✓ I liked the initiative very much this should be done more in Brussels, the energy is present. Thank you for that

✓ Meeting new/likeminded people is a big plus. Sharing knowledge on a very constructive basis is productive and inspiring

✓ Enforcing creative thinking

✓ Enjoyed of co-thinking and co-creation

✓ Engagement in positive action taking

✓ Really enjoyable a very dynamic positive and energetic group of people

✓ Energy from engaged participants

GREAT INITIATIVE

✓ Discussion based event

✓ Saturday as a choice of event

✓ Thanks to you for putting time and energy on this

✓ The structure of the day

✓ Organization and flow of the day + the outcome was surprising

✓ Objective, experiences – the whole process

✓ Great job guys! Fantastic initiative! Thank you!

✓ Super good incentive by everyone organizing the event/ also good endorsement by the minister Gatz /let’s follow up

✓ Excellent organization by the volunteering organization/ people/ facilitator

✓ I really liked the idea of passing on the know-how of putting forth such a meeting

✓ Very good initiative to bring active citizens together

✓ Thank you very much for this initiative!!

✓ I like the initiative by itself.

✓ Learning about the workshop

DIVERSITY

✓ Diversity

✓ Range of subjects to discuss

✓ Culture diversity

✓ The diversity of the group; the rest possibility to put something in action

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MIXED THEORY AND PRACTICE /INTERACTION

✓ The mixing theory/practice

✓ Interesting process

✓ Good exercise of active citizenships

✓ I like the interactive

EXCHANGE VIEWS/IDEAS, MEET PEOPLE, NETWORKING

✓ I liked the most the exchange of views and brainstorming among different people from different cultural background

✓ Meeting people and the exchange of ideas

✓ Great to meet so many different active people

✓ Networking with active people

✓ Feeding the different tables with ideas

✓ Networking

FACILITATION

✓ Good vibe, facilitations did great job.

✓ Liked the facilitation

✓ Very good on interactive techniques

✓ Liked the graphic, physical and supportive facilitation variety

✓ The facilitator ***!

✓ Drawing!!😊

✓ Very good introduction to the methodology and warm-up exercises

✓ Brainstorming session on the chosen topic

✓ I liked that the moderator and other members of the team had a good cooperation.

✓ The moderator has an excellent crowd training skill.

✓ I appreciate the intricate note training learning.

NEW IDEAS

✓ Getting new ideas how to engage.

✓ Interesting approach to problem identification annual solving.

✓ Connecting with people who have a critical thinking and searching solutions together.

INCLUSIVENESS

✓ Inclusiveness

✓ Thank you for the lovely atmosphere. You made me feel comfortable and I needed to hear the positive points that people find in Brussels.

FUTURE OF TOMORROWS POLITICS

✓ This is a strong added value for initiatives like this that can really contribute to shape new policies and laws supporting local/central governments. This represents the future of tomorrow’s politics: constructive bottom-ups approach

✓ I liked the initiative but I have the feeling that it starts and die here (I doubt Mr. Gat would care)

OTHERS

✓ Nice to bring expats and Belgium!

✓ The inactive

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WHAT DIDN'T I LIKE

UNCLEARITY

✓ Objectives are not clear

✓ The unclearity of the organization sources, who organizes this, why, where does the funding came from?

✓ The sudden narrowing down to culture was a bit of a glitch …. Important to define the scope clearing up front – stick to it.

✓ To my mind, it makes a difference. If you change the rule, explain that you do and why you do so.

FACILITATOR

✓ The main facilitator rawness sometimes as a stern teacher, which had an effect of stilling some creativity

✓ Sometimes the instructor, although she surely didn´t mean it that way, was bit too school teacher.

✓ The host (lady) was too loud and bossy. It’s was like a military camp. She was not flexible and nice.

TOO MUCH THEORY/MAKE IT SHORTER

✓ A bit too much theory.

✓ The intro was really interesting, but could have been shorter to leave more time to discuss the practical ideas

✓ Too long introduction, would have been interesting to have a bit more space to work on the idea.

✓ The initial relatively theoretical part could have been shortened a bit (just keep the exercises)

✓ I would have make it what 1 hour shorter

✓ Intro was a bit to long (also due to late start). Not enough time for discussion, poster preparation.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS/CONFLICT

✓ My belief was that it is a place to speak freely and ask critical questions

✓ Only by asking the critical questions you can arrive to a best outcome

✓ If you have different opinion toy feel shutted

✓ Policy development are made not, only through consensus but also through conflict and debate and different opinions

✓ I was not able to talk and listen to everyone. It´s not your fault, I just was ☹, I was not able to talk and listen

everyone

ACOUSTICS

✓ The room was noisy because of the echo and the feel wasn’t great.

✓ Noise-ie. The acoustics of the place are terrible.

✓ Some disrespectful attitude (noise, laughing, no listening…) in certain moments.

✓ I did not like the noise, sometimes, it becomes too much especially if we stay in the same room.

✓ Noise levels

✓ The pandemonium’s/lack of control of the group

ICE BREAKER

✓ The event needed on icebreaker. I did not feel that there was a friendly, safe-space to create and build new projects with a brainstorming aspect to it (where you can’t feel uneasy, so you may say ‘stupid/ not so stupid’ ideas)

SUPRISING OUTCOME

✓ Measuring the groups to work on a proposal by 4 members. In the end, I was working on a topic I wasn’t initially interested but it did provide a surprising outcome.

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DONATIVES

✓ For the workshop, not fair point: not correct to match names with donative

NOT THE FIRST PARTICIPATIONS EVENT BY CITIZENS

✓ The fact that this not the ‘first’ participation event by citizens. This only gets publicity because of endorsement by minister Gatz.

NEXT STEP DOUBTS

✓ Lack of clear call to action at the end.

✓ Is a phase 2 happening?

✓ I am not confident that own proposals will really be valour into consideration at the government level

✓ Not clearly problematized in terms of action, would have followed general topics.

✓ Combining activities:

o Lunch + coffee brakes

o Not too confident about the outcome of the proposers

o Not clear of the report

o Capturing the presentations better

✓ I liked the least the fact that the intention to give our work to the minister of culture cropped up late during the discussion.

SUGGESTIONS

PURPOSE CLEARITY

✓ Don´t talk about culture

✓ More serious when building on drafting future policies – as if chosen they affect people’s life.

✓ Bring out also seriously

✓ More emphasis on constructive feedback, non-violent communication witch would be more “automatic” it the group would have been “formed” in a more meaningful way (icebreaker, sharing experiences,…)

✓ A promise of ‘action’ was made and could not be realized – which was a bit deceptive for people: - the discussion needed to be a bit more structured, goal oriented -> people would have come to brainstorm – but having been promised “real outcomes” – Defining ‘culture’ as central from the beginning.

✓ I think that there was a waste of network potential: no idea, until now, of who are these people, where they come from, what they do, what experiences have they had in terms of these sorts of initiatives…

✓ State the purpose of the workshop more clearly. I somehow missed it out the beginning. Perhaps, I did because I was actually expecting that locals could tell me what they love about Brussels. The tittle “Building bridges between expats and Brussellois” implies it. I did not see any point of view of the “Bruscellois” as it was all expats.

✓ How gonna use this idea?

ERASE THEORY

✓ The all things in the morning does not necessary, especially the “blabla” the block about collective

intelligence ☹

✓ Choosing your own topic on tables a plus because you might have more to say on one subject than another

COMMUNICATE BETTER

✓ Be clear about: goal; purposes; how it´s gonna be used; for who?; how?

✓ Clearer communication on purpose. Speaking more slowly and clearly.

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✓ Be more transparent

✓ Explaining better the outcome of the meeting and it’s benefits

✓ Instructions were not always clear which lead to some chaotic moments.

✓ State the time allocated to energy exercise before people start it.

✓ I would have appreciated or brief introduction of the moderator and her team.

✓ I am interested in your background and your link to Brussels. (perhaps, I somehow missed it as I come a bit late.)

OUTREACH OTHER PEOPLE/PARTICIPANTS

✓ Invite people from administration to participate, so this is already and an immediate dialogue opportunity

✓ Involving maybe representatives of local/public authorities

✓ More experts in the room.

✓ Use a gang to most the different sections? Harness the energy to take this further –invite ownerships

✓ Connecting people on different fields and using their experience to benefit the events and later everyone.

✓ Broader diversity and inclusion more diverse mixed Belgians

✓ Make sure to actively reach out to Magred / me communities. They are too often excluded from civic participation.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHER EVENTS/NETWORKS

✓ Mapping/ presenting initiatives that already exist

✓ Residential weekend programme

✓ “festival’ of alternative governance active citizenship

✓ Women only sessions focusing on solutions to make Brussels work for women

DO NOT STOP

✓ Please don’t stop just at this event, this positive energy and interest should be used

✓ Let’s keep it going

✓ Can we circulate a list of names, what they do already, what they want to invest in the future, so people can connect to continue this initiative or new ones.

✓ Next time ask Sven to lend you a room for free and use one of the room of the main citizen and use one of the many (citizen-led) access-to-work catering companies (e.g.: “helmendo”)

✓ Should be ‘sponsored’ by minister Gatz financially to even cover cost.

✓ Would love to be informed of follow-up!

✓ Please make sure this initiative continues. Because this is a group made up by community leaders.

✓ BRAVO GUYS!! See you soon!

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS/NEW ISSUES OR PROBLEMS/REWARD

✓ Maybe use the problems brought out in other citizenship councils and reframe them, or add to them (basic to work with)

✓ Thematic workshops

✓ More focused on specific topics/ problems

✓ Reward for the best proposal

TIME/INFORMATION

✓ Explain/ workshop how Brussels is governed

✓ More time should have been devoted to put together the ideas for the minister.

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Conscious Participation

✓ What is it?

Conscious participation stems from UdN research in the field of new forms of contributions. It is

the valuation in euro of the benefit of the intervention / service delivered.

✓ Why?

Conscious participation changes the established rule. It proposes and opens a way of

questioning our relationship with money and how we exchange our wealth. This is NOT a

donation! Instead, it is a form of rethinking remuneration or payment as a path of individual

and collective transformation.

✓ How does it work?

Note: Organizers are advised to set a minimum cost to be paid ahead of the event (cover

logistic costs) AND announce to participants in advance that this practice will be used.

It should always be the subject of a short explanation at the beginning of the experiment.

→ In the Event:

o It is the sum in euros that you give taking into account:

a) what you have lived and learned

b) how would you like to have it happen again

c) what your possibilities are

o It is mandatory, but no price will be charged or offered;

o The delivery is made at the end of the experiment;

o Participants are invited to discuss in groups of 3-5 what they take from the

experience, what could be better, etc. (no need to share how much they will be

giving);

o It is NOT anonymous (participants write their name and € given in a paper, and put

that and the money in an envelope) but only the organizers will see the name of the

donations;

o There is NO justification asked of the donation made.

http://universite-du-nous.org/

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