Get involved, help shape the future, and have a voice in the decision-making process! Citizen Participation: The KOSMOS Example—Experiences and the Path Toward the Vision

A festival for everyone—but who decides what that means? Since 2022, Buntmacherinnen e.V. has developed a participatory format called the KOSMOS Workshop: residents of Chemnitz selected at random work together to develop guidelines and ideas for the KOSMOS Festival.

After three KOSMOS Workshops, participants share their personal experiences: What surprised them? Where did they make a difference? What frustrated or inspired them?

Together with experts, we’ll discuss the question: How can citizen participation succeed?

Ralf-Uwe Beck (Mehr Demokratie e.V.) will share the perspective of direct democracy. Almut Patt (City Council member, member of the Culture Committee) will provide the perspective of local politics. What new forms of organization are needed—somewhere between volunteer work and a permanent team? And what role does citizen participation play in fostering a vibrant local democracy?

This panel invites you to listen, reflect, and join the discussion—for everyone wondering what genuine participation on a small scale reveals about democracy on a larger scale.