Good Life Citizens’ Assembly

CSO: DD Foundation
Area: Citizen Engagement
Location: Estonia in general

Type of project

The Good Life Citizens’ Assembly is a nationwide deliberative process in Estonia, taking place in August–September 2025. Over five days across two months, a representative cross-section of the population will assess Estonia’s policies through the lens of well-being, explore post-growth economic models, and provide policymakers with citizen-backed recommendations. The initiative aims to strengthen public engagement, reduce polarization, and promote sustainable decision-making. Organized by the Democracy Center, the assembly follows OECD deliberative standards and contributes to shaping a governance model that prioritizes people and nature over economic growth.

The project focuses on deliberative democracy, engaging a representative cross-section of Estonian society to assess policies through the Earth4All framework, with the potential to influence decision-making, public awareness, and future governance models.

Target (Disengaged)

Participants are selected through a statistical random sample, ensuring equal opportunity for all citizens—both active and passive—resulting in a diverse and representative group rather than only those who are available or motivated by the topic.

Science-based

The Good Life Citizens’ Assembly is a science-based process where experts provide participants with key insights on systemic issues, following the Earth4All framework for sustainable well-being. It integrates findings from public “dreaming circles” (spring 2025) and facilitates national dialogue on rethinking economic policies.

Gender

The Good Life Citizens’ Assembly highlights women’s empowerment through the Earth4All framework, ensuring it is considered in the final outcomes. Participants are selected to reflect Estonia’s gender balance, and efforts are made to achieve gender parity—or female majority—among experts, facilitators, and the lead moderator.

Planned activities

• A “mini-Estonia” assessment of how well (or poorly) current policies support human and environmental well-being, highlighting key focus areas for climate policy.
• The assembly will create new propositions to subtly influence official policies in a positive direction.
• The assessment and propositions will be public resources, usable in future decision-making processes that require proof of public sentiment.
• Increased public awareness, using insights from spring 2025 “dreaming circles” and a strategic communication plan to share results. Presentations from the assembly will be available online.
• The assembly’s design and execution will serve as a prototype for the public sector to use in addressing complex societal issues.

Action model

• The Good Life Citizens’ Assembly operates as a deliberative democracy model, empowering a diverse, representative group of citizens to assess policies through the lens of human and environmental well-being. By integrating scientific insights (Earth4All framework) with inclusive public deliberation, the project fosters evidence-based, citizen-driven recommendations for systemic change. Its impact extends beyond the assembly itself, creating a scalable decision-making prototype for the public sector and increasing societal awareness and engagement in shaping a sustainable future.