The impetus of citizen participation with the intensive use of the internet and social networks has radically transformed the way of doing politics and make possible self-organization.

The evolution of information and communication technology (ICT), has contributed to the empowerment of free, critical and committed citizenship who claim for a greater participation. The solution to get a major participation come with new technologies. While it is true that the citizenry demands to take part on political decisions, it must be possible to combine with the elected representatives and experts with knowledge and experience about the policies taken.

In fact, this is happening today. Imagine Joan and Rosa, two citizens who are been concerned about trash collection in the neighbourhood because damage the community. To solve it, Joan and Rosa start to interpellate by social networks the environment’s council to denounce the situation. To argue the proposal, collect more bin in the neighborhood, they get in touch with the Ecologist Association to be advised by experts in the question. They send messages, that everyone can see, till they get the answer. Actually, environment’s council is being aware about social network. Knows that tool is suitable for listening worries of people and do a quick answer. Allow interact, inform and impact.

What shows this example? It highlights the need to offer a space where citizen participation expressed by deliberation, proposals, votes and the democratic and legitimate management by the governments of the administration expressed on political decisions is linked. Decidim connects the needs and wishes of citizens to have a greater degree of involvement in political decisions with the necessity of elected representatives to meet a place where can interact and decide together with citizens. What can you do with a Decidim account?

• Citizenship could involve, propose and rank the political decisions that affect them through electronic participatory processes.
• Cooperate and have self-management tools to have organization through online participatory spaces.  
• Allows doing popular initiative promoted by citizens, social movements and associational fabric.
• Participate in citizens’ queries to vote in the city or district plebiscite.  

With Decidim we get the solution for the problem of Joan and Rosa. Using ICT is essential for expanding and deepening political participation, allowing citizens to connect with each other and their elected representatives. What lets Decidim?

• Connect people, institutions and government through participatory process. 
• Define the society priorities among community participation in the platform.  
• Bet on a space for online participation and integrated it with offline participation.
• Democratize and take part in decision-making process.

This and much more in #Decidim