Faced with the growing complexity of institutions, citizens are becoming aware that they need to inform themselves, educate, and engage to make democracy function at all levels, whether in their municipality, region, country, or at the European level.
Aware of these needs, the House of the People of Europe offers a series of services (training and advice) aimed at preparing non-experts in European matters to act in "Europe".
The purpose of these training sessions is to impart to citizens (individuals and/or engaged in non-profit organizations) the knowledge and skills needed to transform them into European actors for social, societal, and democratic progress.
Basic information tools
- a series of "basic documents," information tools to familiarize and inform citizens and non-profit organizations in a simple and clear manner.
- Follow the work of the European Parliament Think Tank and access the documents that contribute to shaping the new legislation of the Union. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/fr/home.html
- Legislative Train of the European Parliament: an interactive website that allows you to follow the progress of key legislative files throughout the five years of the legislature. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/
- Training courses on the functioning of European institutions can also be considered. The aim of these courses will be to prepare individuals to participate in debates and awareness-raising campaigns organized from the House of the People of Europe, through presentations that familiarize them with European topics.
Training in Citizen Advocacy (formerly known as citizen lobbying)
It lasts for 1 year, with 45 sessions every Tuesday evening (except holidays), leading to the issuance of a certificate. The next session will take place as soon as a minimum of 10 people are registered.
The term "citizen lobbying" having raised questions, the new designation for the training is "citizen advocacy." From a communication standpoint, it's important not to position oneself "against" or "in relation to" already defended positions, but rather to be a force of proposals. The term "citizen advocacy" is suitable to emphasize "the citizens' will to reclaim power" and align with a positive dynamic proposing alternatives.
The purpose of the "citizen advocacy" training is to provide effective tools to citizens so that they become more active participants in participatory democracy by practicing citizen advocacy at various legislative levels. The goal is to implement democratic transparency accessible to all to ensure the traceability of decisions and to refocus public decision-making around the Common Good.
The program specifically targets the training of teams dedicated to serving voters and association members, empowering them to formulate their demands within municipal councils, regional, federal, and European parliaments, with the aim of developing proposals for legislative amendments.
MODULES of the "Citizen Advocacy" training:
Content of the training unit: Definitions and functioning of counter-lobbying, tools for developing an sphere of influence, grouping by center of interest.
Analysis of positions taken on a current issue, various on-site analyses. Public speaking and reasoned defense, developing a convincing strategy (task distribution, use of tools, implementation and follow-up, coordination...).
History of industrial and union lobbying, characteristics of the professional environment of political influence, deviations from the initial idea of influence, differences between international and European lobbying, institutionalization of industrial lobbying, financial movements between influence groups and institutions or political parties.
Specificity of citizen advocacy compared to existing interest groups, management of interest groups and lobbyists by political representatives, constructive and lasting influence networking.
Presentation and expertise on a current topic, citizen-expert dialogue; confrontation of the values of a group of citizens with expert trainers or other interest groups.
Learning dynamics of listening and reasoned positioning, personal assessment of the values of a group or citizen organization in relation to the positions of decision-making bodies.
Analysis of a specific decision-making process, method or process for gathering the action values of a group within an organization.
Exercise of idea exchange and common positioning, development of principles for a citizen portal or a discussion forum in meetings or through ICT tools.
Drafting or correcting a report; participatory democracy exercise for writing a press release project.
Brainstorming session on the "key values" to defend on a citizen portal. Comparison of values with the symbols of "citizen thinking" in the context of a collaborative and participatory discussion, small group discussion, preparation for a participatory discussion with a larger group involving other associations.
Meeting with elected officials (unit for learning about others) on the ground. Presentation of the deputies and analysis of their profile: https://www.lachambre.be/kvvcr/showpage.cfm?section=hemicycle&language=fr&cfm=/site/wwwcfm/depute/Hemicycle.cfm, Analysis of majority resolution proposals on a current topic, Analysis of opposition resolution proposals, Comparison of positions and development of a majority position for the Common Good.
Oral communication, citizen mobilization, analysis of the democratic project through the approach of the four epistemologies: Impact of confrontations, economic, social, environmental, and societal argumentation, importance of laws and regulations.
Brainstorming session on "key values" such as the "Symbolic Values" of "citizen thinking," developed in the context of a collaborative and participatory discussion with an expanded group.
Brainstorming on the concepts of "motions," "resolutions," "Amendment Proposals," drafting of texts. Parallel development of an argument outlining the citizen position. Elaboration of an influence strategy and communication means.
Advocacy at the European level, presentation of the structures of European institutions. Understanding of the European decision-making process. Implementation of a citizen advocacy strategy.
European lobbying, presentation of the structures of European institutions. Understanding the European decision-making process. Implementation of a citizen advocacy strategy.
European lobbying, presentation of the structures of European institutions. Understanding the European decision-making process. Implementation of a citizen advocacy strategy.
Presentation of the structures of municipal institutions, understanding of the municipal decision-making process, citizen petition or interpellation, motion. Implementation of an advocacy strategy through The petition for an interpellation, The official interpellation, The argumentation.
How to defend the legitimacy of an organization? What arguments to emphasize? Transforming the desire for action into citizen mobilization. How to make my voice the spokesperson for a group. Illustrated by an intervention from an elected official, participatory citizen debate.
What individual actions to implement? How to contact elected officials? How to prepare for a meeting or intervention? How to defend the legitimacy of an opinion alone? How to choose the arguments to emphasize? How to observe the reactions of elected officials? Following the intervention, planning follow-up actions, collective exercises.
What individual actions to implement? How to contact elected officials? How to prepare for a meeting or intervention? How to defend the legitimacy of an opinion alone? How to choose the arguments to emphasize? How to observe the reactions of elected officials? Following the intervention, planning follow-up actions, collective exercises.
Group reflection on actions to be implemented, evaluation and comparison of initiatives, group work, organization of events.
Analysis of sensitivities by sector (agriculture, pharmacy, construction, banking, transportation, etc.), analysis of existing influences, analysis of sectoral influences on a current topic, construction of an argument by sector, strategic discussion on sectoral lobbying, intervention by a university student circle leader, how to involve students in association debates, collective reflection on training.
Group reflection on the strategy to be implemented, consideration of an action plan, evaluation and comparison of alternatives, group work, presentation of the strategy to be applied.
Presentation of a book or a (series of) intervention(s) or interview(s), Synthesis of a book or a (series of) intervention(s) or interview(s) related to a political figure.
Learning to interpret and analyze content on a specific theme for a written response or during the seminar, or both.
- Development of projects for letters addressed to MPs, under the collaborative and participatory approach, publication after group validation.
- Revision of letter projects and consolidation into standardized letters for sharing with other citizens.
Learning to organize a seminar or a citizen conference. Mediation of a debate, a stance.
Debriefing of the seminar or conference - Discussion on the differentiated strategy in a working group.
Group reflection on all strategy elements to be planned. Brainstorming on operational actions to be planned, synchronization of dates with the political agenda. Action plan.
Starting from the observation that the interaction between citizens and states is destabilized, the training aims to (re)build the collective citizen intelligences at play in all observed citizen actions worldwide. The method throughout the various training sessions is essentially participatory, extensively tapping into the expressive and cultural dimensions of citizen development, starting from each individual's personal resources to integrate them into the collective in search of the Common Good.
- L’intelligence narrative: apprendre à raconter et témoigner sur les expériences vécues comme justes et injustes, en vue de se rassembler derrière un pacte citoyen commun à tous
- Exercices pratiques sur l’intelligence narrative à propos d’un thème d’actualités
- Un-constructive Intelligence: questioning and constantly unraveling the categories and codes imposed on us, with the aim of developing cultural and creative irreverence by emphasizing access to public space.
- Practical exercises on de-constructive intelligence on a current theme.
- Prescriptive Intelligence: Naming oneself and claiming through a clear slogan, with the objective of the emergence of a complete social movement.
- Practical exercises on de-constructive intelligence on a current theme.
- Argumentative Intelligence: Develop the democratic approach necessary for the construction of collective rationality and decision-making by a citizen collective.
- Practical exercises on de-constructive intelligence on a current theme.
Analysis of the G1000 methodology: developed in 2011, this real-world test on the contribution of deliberative democracy followed the longest government crisis in Belgium. It aimed to emphasize the citizen's role as a full-fledged actor in the political debate and choice. These theoretical training sessions allow for collective practical analyses of the G1000 experience, led by a highly diversified interuniversity methodology team, and of the "citizen climate parliament," which was led by the SEED team at the Arlon campus of the University of Liège.
Based on these experiences, the theoretical training in methodology will be more mobilized for the establishment of a "TTIP Citizen Parliament."
Presentation, either in a group or individually, of a strategy, an action plan, or the organization of an event, or on another subject to be approved by a trainer during the training, followed by the submission of a report.