Vitalizing Democracy through Participation: Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011

Fewer and fewer people in Germany are casting their votes or taking part in politics. At the same time, Germans want to have their say and are lending their voices to a growing number of debates such as education reform or anti-smoking regulations. Throughout the world, there are several government institutions involving their citizens in processes of political decision-making. This publication introduces seven promising examples of democracy in action-the finalists for the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize and their approaches to "Vitalizing Democracy Through Political Participation." Whether involving the use of modern technologies such as SMS to facilitate participatory budgeting in La Plata (Argentina) or establishing a citizens' assembly for electoral reform in British Columbia (Canada), these projects attest to the power of civic engagement in solving problems-democratically. The projects presented here are therefore a source of inspiration for civic participation in Germany. The Bertelsmann Stiftung awards the Reinhard Mohn Prize to commemorate Reinhard Mohn the citizen, entrepreneur and founder by nurturing his ideas, beliefs and vision. In the spirit of these goals, the Bertelsmann Stiftung seeks out effective strategies worldwide from which we all can learn.