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Latvias Forum (Latvijas Forums) is a nongovernmental citizens initiative to organise local citizens

assemblies and address challenging issues of local significance. Since its inception in early 2009, Latvias

forum has had four rounds of simultaneous citizens assemblies nationwide and numerous local forums.

The Forum is more like a movement since it does not have the central administrative head or structures

apart from advisory function played by the initiatives group.

It was established as a reaction to the city riot in the capital Riga in early 2009. A week after the riot a small

group of ten people, known in their respective fields (media, banking, advertising, academia), came

together to issue a call for the organisation of a citizens debate about how to strengthen ability of citizens

to address challenges of the crisis period in a constructive way and how to empower Latvias population

to be more proactive in self-organising and claiming part in public governance processes. Over 40 public

authorities from various fields came to formulate the idea of the Forum. The first major Citizens assembly

took place on May 31, 2009 simultaneously in 12 towns and cities of Latvia, with the President of Latvia

participating. Since then further three nationwide assemblies have taken place, each focusing on the

urgent and challenging set of issues that would need collective deliberation to find locally adequate and

socially justifiable solutions (how to remedy to closure of local schools, help set up micro business to

those who have lost jobs in the area, etc.). The President of Latvia participated in all three assemblies in

various places and on one occasion led the locally organised workshop. The last nationwide Forum was

organised in the form of Citizens jury with online live discussion from five cities. Prior to the Forum

discussion, groups of experts prepared their alternative solutions to a few current socioeconomic issues

(grey economy and tax avoidance, migration to towns and disappearing countryside, etc.). The Citizens

Juries used the expert analysis of alternative solutions to come to their decision of the most appropriate

nationally and locally.

The Forum has local spillovers as well as continuation online in the form of site www.scenariji.lv

(scenarios). The site is the place to mix views of experts working on five thematic areas with those of

citizens who have their opinion on the main issue what are the long term challenges and solutions to

the countries' development? Prior to the Parliamentary election in October 2010, the site offered various

interactive tools to evaluate political parties proposals (e.g. a tax calculator that allowed users, after

inputting their income data, to see how proposed changes in the tax system would affect their household

budget).

www.scenariji.lv

LATVIJAS FORUMS (LATVIAS FORUM)