Learning from experiments in deliberate democracy: an e-forum on participatory processes for policy change

This issue of PLA notes features a set of methodological and conceptual reflections and lessons on the use of Deliberative and Inclusionary Processes (DIPs) which grew out of a citizen jury and scenario workshop in southern India. The articles in this issue do not take the usual approach of PLA Notes of case studies and examples of methods in action, but present a set of conceptual and methodological reflections on the Indian experiment and its implications for citizen engagement in policy processes. The contributions are the result of an internet-based electronic forum involving a diverse number of researchers and practitioners. The debate was convened around a series of four themes: issues of representation, issues of evidence, issues of engagement, and issues of accountability.