Our Mission

Attendees sitting in a conference room, listening attentively, and taking notes.
People in a classroom setting, writing and discussing at tables, with a laptop and papers.

Participedia is a global network and crowdsourcing platform for researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in democratic innovations.

By democratic, we mean practices or institutions that potentially advance ideals of self-government—individually, collectively, and across time, space, and geography. By innovations we mean practices or institutions that are relatively new to a context or place. Our mission is to mobilize knowledge about democracy-enhancing practices and institutions that people are inventing, remolding, protecting, and transferring from other contexts.

Although committed to democratic ideals, Participedia does not advance any ideological, programmatic, institutional, or government agenda. We believe that there are many ways to advance democracy, and that they will differ by place, history, culture, and context-based challenges. We recognize existing inequalities in the collection, theorization, and mobilization of knowledge about non-Western forms of democratic innovations. Participedia is committed to working to address this imbalance. We also recognize that not all cases and methods documented by Participedia will advance democracy, and that impacts will vary by context. “Our mission is to mobilize knowledge about democracy-enhancing practices and institutions that will support answers to the question: What kinds of democratic innovations work best, for what purposes, under what conditions?

Participedia Phase 1 emphasized democratic innovations in participatory governance. Participedia Phase 2, launched in June 2021, is expanding to include a broader range of practices and institutions that potentially support democratic ideals, including innovations in human and political rights, democratic accountability, democratic representation, democracy across borders, and digital communications. Phase 2 recognizes that the democratic project builds on complex ecologies of practices and institutions, and will develop the conceptual infrastructure necessary to capture these broader domains of democratic innovations through crowdsourcing.

Video: Participedia highlights democratic innovations in uncertain times

Participedia Phase 2

2021 - 2026

McMaster University logo with emblem featuring a stylized bird and book.

Participedia Phase 2 is directed by Principle Investigator Dr. Bonny Ibhawoh at McMaster University.

The project is funded by a Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership grant from 2021-2026. Phase 2 aims to promote global cross-sectoral knowledge that supports democratic innovation and resilience. During this project phase, team members will collaborate to produce research and mobilize knowledge to directly address current challenges to democracy and democratization. This new phase of Participedia’s research brings together 63 researchers from 22 universities and 21 organizations across 12 countries.

Read more about the SSHRC Partnership Network grant here.

  • Bonny Ibhawoh
    Director, Participedia
    Chair, Human & Political Rights Research Cluster

    Mark Warren
    Co-chair, Research Committee
    Co-chair, Democratic Representation Research Cluster

    Matt Ryan
    Co-chair, Research Committee

    Bettina von Lieres
    Co-chair, Teaching, Training & Mentoring Committee

    Julien Landry
    Co-chair, Teaching, Training & Mentoring Committee

    Jesi Carson
    Co-chair, Design Technology Team

    Amber Frid-Jimenez
    Co-chair, Design Technology Team

    Selen Ercan
    Co-chair, Participatory & Deliberative Governance Research Cluster

    Andre Bächtiger
    Co-chair, Participatory & Deliberative Governance Research Cluster

    Sanjay Ruparelia
    Chair, Democratic Accountability Research Cluster

    Françoise Montambeault
    Co-chair, Democratic Representation Research Cluster

    Sean Gray
    Chair, Democracy Across Borders Research Cluster

    Edana Beauvais
    Chair, Democracy & Digital Communication Research Cluster

    Joanna Ashworth
    Ex Officio

    Patrick Scully
    Ex Officio

    Paul Emiljanowicz
    Ex Officio

  • Fiona Anciano
    University of the Western Cape

    Laurence Bherer
    Université de Montréal

    Hans Asenbaum
    University of Canberra

    Chandrima Chakraborty
    McMaster University

    Joanna Ashworth
    Simon Fraser University

    Nancy Doubleday
    McMaster University

    Leonardo Avritzer
    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Selen Ercan
    University of Canberra

    Andre Bächtiger
    Universität Stuttgart

    Amber Frid-Jimenez
    Emily Carr University of Art + Design

    Karen Balcom
    McMaster University

    Archon Fung
    Harvard University

    Sean Gray
    Memorial University Newfoundland

    Edana Beauvais
    Simon Fraser University

    Nibaldo Galleguillos
    McMaster University

    John Gaventa
    Studies University of Sussex

    Baogang He
    Deakin University

    Ameil Joseph
    McMaster University

    Paul Kingston
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Julien Landry
    St. Francis Xavier University

    Rosemary McGee
    University of Sussex

    Françoise Montambeault
    Université de Montréal

    Tina Nabatchi
    Syracuse University

    Lucy Parry
    University of Canberra

    Laurence Piper
    University of the Western Cape

    Stuart Poyntz
    Simon Fraser University

    Robert Richards
    University of Arkansas

    Jonathan Rose
    Queens University

    Sanjay Ruparelia
    Ryerson University

    Matt Ryan
    University of Southampton

    Vera Schattan P. Coelho
    Brazilian Center of Analysis and Planning

    Alexander Shankland
    University of Sussex

    Graham Smith
    University of Westminster

    Paolo Spada
    University of Southampton

    Anil Varughese
    Carleton University

    Francesco Veri
    University of Canberra

    Bettina von Lieres
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Steven Weldon
    Simon Fraser University

    Mark Warren
    University of British Columbia

    Melissa Williams
    University of Toronto

  • Yamini Aiyar
    Centre for Policy Research

    Lanre Ikuteyijo
    Obafemi Awolowo University

    Eileen Alma
    St. Francis Xavier University

    Katherine Knobloch
    Colorado State University

    Mbongiseni Buthelezi
    Public Affairs Research Institute

    Melissa Levin
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Leslie Chan
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Oluyemi Oyenike Fayomi
    Admiralty University of Nigeria

    Mark Gibney
    University of North Carolina at Asheville

    Lord Mawuko-Yevugah
    Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration

    Ricardo Mendonça
    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Nidhi Nagabhatla
    United Nations University \/ McMaster University

    Patricia Nanz
    Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam

    Thamy Pogrebinschi
    WZB Berlin Social Science Center

    Jon Stever
    Innovation for Policy Foundation

    James Turk
    Ryerson University

    Dale Turner
    University of Toronto

    Nick Vlahos
    University of Canberra

    Katherine Walker
    University of Saskatchewan

    Matthew Wildcat
    University of Alberta

    Melike Yilmaz
    McMaster University

    Mesut Yilmaz
    McMaster University

    Ming Zhuang
    Social Equity and Participant Center

    Paola Ardiles
    Simon Fraser University

    Nico Landsman
    ZeelandBruist

  • Participedia Phase 2 is guided and supported by the following standing committees:

    • Executive Committee

    • Research Committee

    • Teaching Training & Mentoring Committee

    • Design Technology Team

    • Communications Team

  • Participedia Phase 2 team members participate in research clusters to collaboratively explore the following research areas:

    • Participatory & Deliberative Governance

    • Human & Political Rights

    • Democratic Accountability

    • Democratic Representation

    • Democracy Across Borders

    • Democracy and digital communications

  • Paul Emiljanowicz
    Managing Director

    Jesi Carson
    Design Director

    Pan Khantidhara
    Lead Developer

    Maia Lepingwell-Tardieu
    Communications Manager

    Nadim Al Nakhl
    Podcast Producer

    Daniella Chukwu
    Podcast Producer

  • Participedia is currently supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through a five-year Partnership Grant beginning in 2021.

    Translation management software for this website is provided by Phrase.

Participedia Phase 1

2025 - 2021

UBC logo with waves and leaf design

Participedia Phase 1 was directed by Principle Investigator Mark Warren at the University of British Columbia.

The project, funded by a SSHRC Partnership grant from 2015-2021, addressed the research challenge of curating and mobilizing knowledge associated with thousands of kinds of democratic innovations that are in place in countries all over the world. We did so by digitally crowdsourcing knowledge in an area of research marked by rapid development and highly dispersed knowledge, much of it practical rather than academic.

Participedia.net is an open source online platform for collaborative co-production of knowledge about democratic innovations, with a focus on participatory governance. Its content comprises user-contributed articles and data available in multiple languages. Participedia is now the world’s largest repository of information about participatory governance, and we have built a global network of academics and practitioners who support and use it.

Prior to Phase 1, the Participedia project was founded in 2009 by Archon Fung (Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University) and Mark E. Warren (Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia).

  • Participedia's executive committee comprises the chairs of each standing committee and it's meetings are open to any member of our extended team or co-signatories to the project's SSHRC Partnership Grant (co-investigators, collaborators, and administrative representative of partner institutions).

    Marco Adria, Chair, Communication & Knowledge Mobilization Committee
    Centre for Public Involvement
    University of Alberta

    Amber Frid-Jimenez, Participedia Design Lead and Chair, Design & Technology Committee
    Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media and Director, Studio for Extensive Aesthetics
    Emily Carr University of Art + Design

    Archon Fung, Co-Founder
    Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
    Harvard University

    Patrick L. Scully
    Ex officio
    Managing Director, Participedia

    Matt Ryan, Chair, Research Design Committee
    Centre for the Study of Democracy
    University of Westminster

    Joanna Ashworth, Co-Chair, Teaching, Training and Mentoring Committee
    Centre for Sustainable Development
    Simon Fraser University

    Bettina Von Lieres, Co-Chair, Teaching, Training and Mentoring Committee
    Centre for Critical Development Studies
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Mark E. Warren, Participedia Project Director and Co-Founder
    Department of Political Science / Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions
    University of British Columbia

  • Archon Fung, Participedia Co-founder
    Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
    Harvard University

    Eileen Alma
    Coady International Institute
    St. Francis Xavier University

    Julia Abelson
    Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis
    McMaster University

    Marco Adria
    Centre for Public Involvement
    University of Alberta

    Giovanni Allegretti
    Centro de Estudo Sociais
    Universidade de Coimbra

    Joanna Ashworth
    Centre for Sustainable Development
    Simon Fraser University

    Leonardo Avritzer
    Department of Political ScienceFederal University of Minas Gerais

    Michael Burgess
    W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics
    University of British Columbia

    Simone Chambers
    Department of Political Science
    University of California, Irvine

    Nancy C. Doubleday
    Department of Philosophy
    McMaster University

    Luciana Duranti
    InterPARES Trust
    School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies
    University of British Columbiat

    John Dryzek
    Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis
    University of Canberra

    Amber Frid-Jimenez
    Studio for Extensive Aesthetics / Design + Dynamic Media
    Emily Carr University of Art + Design

    John Gastil
    The McCourtney Institute for Democracy
    Pennsylvania State University

    John Gaventa
    Institute of Development Studies
    University of Sussex

    Baogang He
    International Studies
    Deakin University

    Bonny Ibhawoh
    Department of History
    McMaster University

    Jan-Hendrik Kamlage
    Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (KWI)
    Research College / University of Duisburg-Essen

    Paul Kingston
    Centre for Critical Development Studies
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Rodolfo Lewanski
    Department of Political and Social Sciences
    University of Bologna

    Peter Loewen
    Munk School of Global Affairs
    University of Toronto

    Françoise Montambeaul
    Centre d'études et de recherches internationals (CÉRIUM)
    Centre for International Studies
    Universite de Montreal

    Tina Nabatchi
    Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC)
    Maxwell School, Syracuse University

    Patrizia Nanz
    Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)
    University of Potsdam

    Laurence Piper
    Department of Political Science
    University of the Western Cape

    Thamy Pogrebinschi
    Research Unit Democracy and Democratization
    WZB Berlin Social Science Center

    Robert C. Richards, Jr.
    University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service

    Matthew Ryan
    Centre for Citizenship, Governance and Globalization
    University of Southampton

    Graham Smith
    Centre for the Study of Democracy
    University of Westminster

    Paolo Spada
    Centro de Estudo Sociais
    Universidade de Coimbra

    Dietlind Stolle
    Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship
    McGill University

    Bettina von Lieres
    Centre for Critical Development Studies
    University of Toronto-Scarborough

    Melissa Williams
    Department of Political Science
    University of Toronto

    Jirong Yan
    Co-Innovation Center for State Governance
    Institute of Political Development and Governance
    Peking University

    Xiaojin Zhang
    Department of Political Science
    Tsinghua University

  • André Bächtiger

    Department of Political Theory and Empirical Study of Democracy

    Universität Stuttgart

    Kaustuv Bandyopadhyay

    Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)

    Edana Beauvais

    Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship

    Department of Political Science

    McGill University

    Claudia Feres Faria

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Dustin Garrick

    Department of Political Science and Booth School of Engineering Practice

    McMaster University

    Katherine Gillieson

    Design + Dynamic Media

    Emily Carr University of Art + Design

    Jez Hall

    PB Partners

    Sandy Heierbacher

    National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation

    David Hume

    Ministry of Citizens' Services and Open Government

    Government of British Columbia

    David Kahane

    Department of Political Science

    University of Alberta

    Katie Knobloch

    Communication Studies

    Colorado State University

    Julien Landry

    Coady International Institute

    St Francis Xavier University

    Matt Leighninger

    Yankelovich Center for Public Judgment

    Public Agenda

    Michael MacKenzie

    Department of Political Science

    University of Pittsburgh

    Marjorie Correa Marona

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Ricardo Fabrino Mendonça

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Alessandro Mengozzi

    Department of Social and Political Sciences

    University of Bologna

    Tiago Peixoto

    ICT4Gov Program

    World Bank Institute

    Marcus Abílio Gomes Pereira

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Hollie Russon-Gilman

    Open Technology Institute

    New America

    Alexandra Samuel

    Eleonora Schettini Cunha

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Eduardo Moreira da Silva

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Leonardo Barros Soares

    Department of Political Science

    Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Joanna Wilson

    Department of Biology

    McMaster University

    Sule Yaylaci

    Department of Sociology

    University of British Columbia

    Changdong Zhang

    Department of Political Science

    Peking University

    David Talukder

    Centre d'Etude de la Vie Politique (CEVIPOL)

    Université libre de Bruxelles

    Julien Vrydagh

    Department of Political Science

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université catholique de Louvain

  • Participedia’s committees are comprised of project co-investigators and collaborators and are headed by a nominated chairperson who sits on the executive committee. The committees in Phase 1 included:

    • Executive Committee

    • Design & Technology Committee

    • Communications & Knowledge Mobilization Committee

    • Teaching Training & Mentoring Committee

    • Research Design Committee

  • Participedia's core team of staff members in Phase 1 maintained day-to-day operations, supported the community, and ensure project goals are continually attained and refined. Staff members included:

    Jesi Carson, Lead Designer & Communities Coordinator

    Emily Carr University of Art + Design

    Dethe Elza, Lead Developer

    Scott Fletcher, Managing Editor

    University of British Columbia

    Rebecca Monnerat, Project Manager

    University of British Columbia

    Alanna Scott, Developer

    Patrick L. Scully, Managing Director

    Mark E. Warren, Project Director, Co-Founder and Principal Investigator

    Department of Political Science / Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

    University of British Columbia

  • Participedia Phase 1 was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through a five-year Partnership Grant beginning in April 2015.

    The Design & Technology Team operated out of the Studio for Extensive Aesthetics at Emily Carr University of Art & Design, and was supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

    Translation management software for this website was provided by Phrase.

    The project was previously funded by a two-year SSHRC Partnership Grant from April 2011-2013. An earlier version of the Participedia website included a prototype for German language functionality, developed under the generous support of the Bertelsmann Foundation in 2012.

Contact us

info@participedia.net

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