The CATALYST project is now entering its testing phase and later this summer, Euclid Network and Purpose, together with Open University, will launch their online discussion on the future of civil society in order to test the DebateHub developments.

The subjects of these debates will be:

“How involved should civil society organisations be in the delivery of public services?”

“What are the biggest barriers to the flourishing of civil society in the next five years?”

“How can large and established civil society organisations be nimble, innovative and entrepreneurial?”

“How could civil society organisations attract more people to work and volunteer with them?”

These debates will not only gather a wide range of views on organised civil society, they will also test how new online deliberation technologies can support more robust debates and discussions than traditional platforms.

Specifically, this test involves DebateHub, an innovative online debating tool developed by the Open University, which uses the Internet to harness collective intelligence.

All contributions to the debates will feed into a unique collective picture, which will be synthesised and incorporated into a report on “Imagining the Future of Civil Society”, to be published by Euclid, Purpose and the Open University. As such, all those who take part in these debates will be listed as contributors to the report.

In summary, as a participant you will:

• be contributing to the debate of important Civil Society issues,
• help the research and development of innovative technologies for public deliberation,
• be listed as a contributor of a publicly available report on “Imagining the Future of Civil Society”.

So, take part, debate, and let us hear your voice! Simply register your interest now, and we will contact you shortly before the tests begin!