What We Did in 2020

It’s been a challenging year, but we’ve accomplished a lot together! After starting our work in 2019 as the Global Participatory Budgeting (PB) Hub, we launched this July as a new organization, People Powered: Global Hub for Participatory Democracy. We’ve quickly created a global union of 44 organizations, and together built new resources, power, and infrastructure for participatory democracy. Check out our 2020 highlights below, and please help grow this work by making an end of year donation, if you can.

1. We connected advocates with the resources they need.

We launched a multilingual global resource center with the best practical materials on participatory democracy. We did the work of identifying the most practically useful videos, guides, and other materials in each language, so that local leaders can more easily take action.

We developed new resources on the two issues that practitioners prioritized last year - inclusion of marginalized communities and using participatory democracy to address climate climate change. Check out the online course videos, info sheets, and checklists in 6 languages.

We developed a Global PB Research Agenda, to provide direction and priorities for research around the world, focused on addressing the needs of PB implementers. We’ve started working with teams of researchers to implement the research priorities.

2. We built power through training and mentorship.

We delivered practical training on priority issues. Our first People Powered University courses on inclusion and climate change synthesized complex information and guidance on the frontiers of participatory democracy. We also conducted trainings on digital participation tools and youth PB. In total, over 400 people signed up to learn new skills from diverse new leaders (80% of speakers were women!).

Our Rising Stars mentorship program recruited 27 experienced mentors from 18 countries and connected them with over 60 mentees seeking guidance on how to start or improve a participatory democracy program. We’re helping the next generation of rising stars to overcome challenges. 100% of mentees have rated the program very helpful - 5 on a scale of 1 to 5!

“It’s amazing to talk to someone with similar passions for participatory democracy! In particular, it was helpful to hear about implementation processes and similar struggles with administration, power dynamics, and budget clarity.”

3. We laid global foundations for participatory democracy.

We built an organization dedicated to growing the global movement for participatory democracy. At a time when powerful forces are organizing to limit people’s power over government, People Powered aims to expand people’s power over government decisions. In April we convened 58 participatory democracy leaders from 28 countries, and they decided our mission, vision, values, theory of change, business model, and name.

We launched an organizational membership program to address common challenges, build power and resources, and advocate for shared priorities. Our 44 (and counting) member organizations power our work!

We conducted a participatory planning process with our members, boards, and staff to determine our goals and spending for 2021. Our approach has already served as a model for other international organizations interested in more democratic and inclusive governance.

We used Google Jamboard to recreate the collaborative environment of an in-person participatory planning process — online.

Next week, we’ll preview the exciting projects we’ll be working on in 2021 - as decided by participatory democracy leaders around the world!

Our work is made possible thanks to our dozens of member organizations, board members, and staff around the world, and financial support from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Will you join them?