Tab Categories of difficulty

We can categorise difficulties by the impact they can have on the deliberation.

People will not be able to deliberate

Fundamentally, deliberation relies on people talking to each other and openly sharing their views. If this cannot happen because of tension, distrust, hate or fear, then deliberation simply cannot happen. These situations will require serious work pre-deliberation to enable people to deliberate.

People will not attend

We need people to attend our deliberations and if there are any obstacles like fear, safety, or intimidation, then people will not be able attend and thus cannot deliberate.

People will not trust the organiser

If people do not trust that the process is being conducted in good faith, it will limit their interest but also undermine the role deliberation can play in the community when addressing difficult issues. Delicate issues require considered and respectful processes that if undermined can both undermine the deliberation process but also set you back on the issue itself.

People will not trust the process

If people do not trust aspects of the process such as the method of information provision, how people were selected, who is facilitating the process, it will undermine the whole deliberative process.

People’s safety will be at risk

Overall, if people are not physically safe then it can be difficult to deliberate. There are situations where you may not have a choice, the context may be dangerous and public decisions need to happen regardless, in there situations, you must do the maximum to ensure attendees safety to the extent that they are then able to make their own personal decision. This is a very complex topic with significant disagreement in the field.