In the run-up to the 2020 election, we worked with other civil society organisations to try and make sure community sector concerns and aspirations after the initial COVID-19 crisis were on the agendas of our political parties.
Category: Educating
This page provides information about educational activities on how democracy could be made to work better by providing an overview of relevant pages and posts.
List of related pages
Charities Act Review
In collaboration with Sue Barker Charities Law, Trust Democracy facilitated the involvement of over 650 people and organisations in the 2019 review of the Charities Act. It appears that this input played a part in the Government’s decision to pause the review and reconsider its direction.
Explore- superseded
An eclectic selection of references to podcasts, books, papers and websites about democracy and ways of fostering inclusion.
Deliberative Engagement: Why, What and How for Local Government
The Review into the Future for Local Government recommends more use of deliberative engagement with the public. This page provides reasons for, and resources on how to organise, public deliberation for New Zealand local authorities.
Explore
An eclectic selection of references to podcasts, books, papers and websites about democracy and ways of fostering inclusion.
List of related posts
Doing Democracy Better: Iain Walker speaking tour, 10-14 May
In May, Trust Democracy is co‑hosting a national speaking tour by Iain Walker, a leading advocate and communicator in the global effort to make democracy work better. This post provides tour details, including details of the public events in Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and online.
A place of firsts: Learning from the Porirua Assembly’s innovations in Treaty-based governance
The Porirua Assembly on Climate innovated on the citizens assembly model in many ways. We organised an event for people to learn more about its governance, design and process innovations, what was learnt, and what comes next. We have split the discussion into 4 themed videos.
Two new $500 democracy essay prizes for politics students
Trust Democracy is delighted to announce two $500 essay prizes for undergraduate politics students at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and Waipapa Taumata Rau—University of Auckland.
Twinkles of democratic hope
Trust Democracy’s Chair, Simon Wright, reflects on 2025 and finds some twinkles of democratic hope.
Deciding Together: The Future of A F Thomas Park – the Home of the Takapuna Golf Course
Trust Democracy committee member, Anna Curnow, shares initial reflections on Auckland Council’s latest deliberative forum, which she facilitated.
More Referenda, Better Democracy?
Watch the video or read the transcript of Associate Professor Matheson Russell speaking to Trust Democracy’s AGM on 12 May 2025 on the topic ‘More Referenda, Better Democracy?’
Media Watch: All eyes on Democracy
Over the last month, we may well have seen more media attention on deliberative democracy in Aotearoa than in the entirety of 2024
Notice of 2025 AGM featuring Matheson Russell
Trust Democracy is pleased to announce that its 2025 Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 12 May at St Andrew’s on The Terrace, 30 The Terrace, Wellington, and via Zoom, and will feature an address by Associate Professor Matheson Russell on the topic ‘More Referenda, Better Democracy?’
Whither Open Government in New Zealand?
At a U3A Wellington City session on 25 October 2024, Keitha Booth, a Trust Democracy member and international open government reviewer, explored how countries use their Open Government Partnership (OGP) memberships to systematically work with civil society to improve democratic participation, accountability and transparency, including through the use of technology. Now that the NZ Government has decided to remain in the OGP, she suggests ways to reinvigorate NZ’s open government programme based on her independent reviews of four OGP members and Taiwan, thus ensuring that open government in NZ does not continue to wither.
Leveraging Local Government’s Superpower
Trust Democracy Committee member Anna Curnow describes how local government is starting to embrace more deliberative and participatory approaches for its “superpower” of being close to its communities.