Falun – Democracy City

falun.se/democracy
Falun – Democracy City
Unless you’re interested in the history of mining or are a keen winter sportsperson, you may never have heard
of Falun. It lies in the heart of Sweden, around the “Stora Kopparberg” - the “Big Copper Mountain” - which
once produced two-thirds of all the copper used in Europe. This capital city of the province of Dalarna is
surrounded by large forests and lakes, offering a rich experience of nature for its current population of around
56,000. But it also has an excellent public infrastructure. Falun is not only a Unesco World Heritage site, but
is also a national and international center for sport. In 2015, this city 250 kilometers north of Stockholm will
host the 50th Nordic World Ski Championships. In the runup to this international event Falun is not only
modernizing the key venues for the championships, accommodation facilities and transportation links – but is
also developing its infrastructure for citizen participation and democracy.
Why? Because effective people power matters more than ever, and recent constitutional revisions in Sweden
and the European Union have strengthened citizens’ initiative rights at local, regional and transnational levels.
Backing these developments, the Falun City Parliament decided in 2011 to launch the “Democracy City” process. With the support of all the political parties in the “Fullmäktige” – the local parliament – Falun has begun
the work of establishing an “infrastructure for citizen participation”. The purpose is to encourage, facilitate
and support its citizens in becoming truly active members of a town in which “every vote counts” on election
day and “every voice is heard” at all times.
On the way to becoming a “Democracy City” the elected all-party “Falun Democracy Commission” has outlined an initial roadmap featuring five main areas:
1)
Democracy Centers
Within a participatory infrastructure a variety of interactions between citizens and institutions will be
enabled: information, consultation, dialogue, influence and co-decision making. As a support measure,
these varied forms of interaction will be allotted specific physical space at the various public library venues of the City, offering places for communication, meeting, consultancy and formal decision making
on election day. By this means, the public, non-partisan, and non-profit making role of public libraries
will be combined with the need for highly accessible spaces for local democracy beyond the existing
established venues such as private homes, party headquarters, association premises and coffeshops.
2)
Democracy Navigators
While the citizens of Falun enjoy a host of different rights and tools for making their voices heard,
most people have little knowledge of those rights and of how and when they can be used, and for
Falu kommun • +46 23 83000 • www.falun.se
falun.se/democracy
what purposes. For this reason it is proposed to establish a new functional position in the public service of the City – that of Democracy Navigator. Such officials could serve at the Democracy Centers
and, of course, also on demand – by phone or electronically – to guide interested citizens through
the often technocratic and complex world of local politics and administration. Establishing and
offering such non-profit consultancy to the citizens will underline the administration’s welcoming
attitude towards active citizens, but also make the interaction between citizens and institutions more
efficient – a win-win situation, in fact.
3)
Young Democracy
Reaching 18 years of age means becoming an eligible voter in Falun and Sweden. Suddenly you can
not only elect your representatives or organise/support a citizens’ initiative, you can even become a
representative yourself. Beginning this new and important role as an active eligible citizen needs to be
carefully prepared. It is a critical moment for our democratic system: if young people do not begin to
use their new rights in the first few years of political eligibility, there is a risk of them being permanently lost as active citizens, since habits of passivity are hard to change later. So Falun Democracy City
intends to invest in wide-ranging youth democracy programmes featuring Youth Democracy Ambassadors and local democracy teaching materials and curriculums for the municipal schools.
4)
Falu Democracy Web
Since the birth of Web 2.0. online interaction has become a much better implemented feature –
further underlined by the emergence of the social media, whose users are much more often ready to
also become involved as active citizens. For this reason the development of online features will be
made available for democratic interaction in a much more comprehensive way than today, adding
transparency, information giving, and constructive interaction to municipal affairs in a strategic and
longlasting manner. Falu Democracy Web will become the online back-up platform for all possible
expressions of active citizenship as well as a forum for dialogue between citizens and the institutions.
5)
Democracy Networks
Falun City is, of course, not alone in Sweden, Europe or the world to invest in a participatory
infrastructure. In many other towns, regions and countries fascinating efforts have been and are
being made to bring the people back into politics between popular votes, with such features as new
online consultations, participative budgeting and public meetings between citizens and institutions.
With modern democracy needing to be upgraded in a economically globalized
environment, the City of Falun is intensifying its active participation and leadership in relevant networks and organizations on all political levels – bringing
together “Democracy Cities” all over the world.
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Dalarna
FALUN
Helsinki
Oslo
Stockholm
In summer 2012 Falun City will decide on a “Democracy Action Plan 2015”,
which will indicate clear milestones ahead. For more information on “Falun
Democracy City” please contact Janna Betzén (Information Officer) at
janna.betzen@falun.se or Bruno Kaufmann (Chairman, Democracy Commission) at bruno.kaufmann@falun.se. More information (mostly in Swedish) can
also be found at www.falun.se/democracy.
Copenhagen
Denmark
Falu kommun • +46 23 83000 • www.falun.se