Policy Makers Demos and Engage Britain Merge

UK-based cross-party thinktank Demos has merged with non-profit Engage Britain, which focused on policy-making and research spanning citizens assemblies, community conversations, and democratic tech tools such as Pol.is. The Engage Britain brand has now ceased to operate.

Demos brings expertise in involving citizens in policy-making and advocating for the adoption of 'people-powered policies'; while Engage Britain had built up learning from running end-to-end participatory policy making. According to Miriam Levin, former Engage Britain CEO, who is now Demos Director of Participatory Programming, the charities have both been driven by a desire to show that participatory policy-making is a solution to democratic challenges, can renew people's trust in the political process, and can improve the quality of policies.

The combined will attempt to make the case for involving people in decisions that affect their lives, and ensuring their ideas and insights are listened to. Polly Curtis, CEO of Demos, says the organisation will be launching a major public participation project in the run up to the election, aiming to demonstrate a different way for citizens and politicians to work together to overcome collective challenges.

Levin adds: 'Engage Britain has shown that it is possible to take on a huge challenge facing our country - access to health and care - and build policy from the grassroots up that works for people. Given the democratic challenges of our times, now is the right time to come together with Demos to build on our shared mission, boosting our impact to make the case for involving people more in how the country works'.

Web site: www.demos.co.uk .