How a Belgian Town Restored Trust in Government

DailyGood: News That Inspires - Dec 10, 2025

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DailyGood News That Inspires Dec 10, 2025

"The most important political office is that of private citizen." — Louis D. Brandeis

How a Belgian Town Restored Trust in Government In the Belgian town of Ostbelgien, a groundbreaking experiment is redefining democracy by empowering ordinary citizens to have a say in governance through a Citizens' Council and Assembly. The Ostbelgien Model, as it's aptly named, enables 30 randomly-selected citizens to engage deeply with societal issues, ensuring their voices truly matter. Participants, armed with a sense of civic duty, have successfully influenced policies on housing, youth employment, and education. This experiment is inspiring other regions to adopt similar participatory democracy measures. Paris, for instance, institutionalized a citizens' assembly of 100 Parisians based on the Ostbelgien Model. The minister-president of Ostbelgien, Oliver Paasch, remarked, "If we want citizens to have more confidence in politicians, we, as politicians, have to give more confidence to the citizens." READ FULL STORY Be The Change Participate in some small way in a local meeting, activity, or effort that supports your community.

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