News

Find out what we’re up to, who’s using our platform, and our hopes for the future of participatory e-democracy.

Browse below for case studies, interviews, product updates and more.

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Interview—PARE General Meeting goes online.

6 May 2021 - Becca Melhuish

Find out how Estonia’s PARE Union moved their general meeting online with the help of the Citizen OS platform.

Meet our young changemakers.

10 March 2021 - Becca Melhuish

Find out what our inspiring team of young Estonian changemakers thinks about civil society activism, “being the change”, and the future potential of participatory e-democracy.

Celebrating freedom of expression in Indonesia.

5 March 2021 - Becca Melhuish

Led by Citizen OS Indonesia, the first ever Indonesian Opinion Festival saw 527 participants come together to discuss important social issues, with outcomes being passed on to government for action.

Our new community e-participation course.

16 February 2021 - Becca Melhuish

Seventeen Estonian community leaders took part in our fresh new training programme.

12 digital changemakers successfully upskilled.

21 January 2021 - Becca Melhuish

After ten enriching days on our co-led Digital Innovation Program, an international group of twelve young students are now ready to apply their newly-learned skills to the benefit of their communities.

The Ultimate Winter School for Digital Change-makers.

22 October 2020 - Becca Melhuish

We’ve teamed up with Tallinn University to deliver an engaging and enriching Winter School course, focused specifically on digital innovation and civic engagement.

Join India’s Participatory Youth Leadership Network.

13 October 2020 - Becca Melhuish

We’re launching a new community of practice in India, the Participatory Youth Leadership Network, which will bring together youth leaders and youth organisations in India and beyond.

The dawn of participatory e-democracy in India?

24 September 2020 - Sara Sinha

Open Society Technologies scholar Sara Sinha fills us in on the participatory e-democracy scene in India, the academic research in this area, and her hopes for the future of this field in her homeland.

The 34 Islands Project–for a Greener Indonesia.

18 September 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Grassroots community decision-making is combating waste pollution in Indonesia.

Democracy is impossible without reasoned debate.

15 September 2020 - Margo Loor

Our CEO Margo Loor on why public discussion yields the best decisions, as published in the Good Citizen magazine.

A new approach for maximum transparency.

7 August 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Find out how our community moderation features bring complete transparency and accountability to the moderation process.

The key to online democracy is trust.

5 August 2020 - Margo Loor, CEO and Product Manager / Edited by Becca Melhuish

Online voting systems need solid security measures. We keep the Citizen OS platform up-to-date with new laws and best practice—our CEO and Product Manager, Margo Loor, explains how.

Turning citizen ideas into action on waste—Bintan, Indonesia.

29 July 2020 - Indonesian team, edited by Becca Melhuish

Let’s Do It Indonesia have announced the success of their first 34 Island Project governmental meeting—turning local people’s wishes into reality with the help of Citizen OS.

Come and participate in a new participation-service pilot project!

8 June 2020 - Anett Linno, Liina Guiter

Citizen OS Foundation is developing a participation service to help successfully carry out initiatives in society.

Challenges in the Field of Participatory e-Democracy.

25 May 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Founding members of the new global Civic Hacktivist Community share their thoughts on the challenges facing the emerging field of participatory e-democracy, and their vision for its future.

The Civic Hacktivist Community — Who and Why?

14 May 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Who’s at the helm of the Civic Hacktivist Community, and what’s it for? Members of the community’s founding organisations share their hopes for the future of this new participatory e-democracy network.

My Mistake - My Best Lesson.

5 May 2020 - Agustina Iskandar

Agustina Iskandar, leader of civic movement Let’s Do It Indonesia, recounts a candid and heartfelt story of a leadership mistake, and how she regained trust with the help of the Citizen OS platform.

Team Decisions in the Time of Corona.

28 April 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Still haven’t found the perfect tool for remote group decision-making? Our free co-decision platform might be just what you’re looking for.

Estonia’s Richness Of Life Party - a recipe for post-ideology participatory politics?

20 April 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Radikaalselt teistsugune lähenemine erakonnapoliitikale sillutab teed rahva poolt otse juhitavale, alt üles toimivale nutikale maheriigile.

Digital Signing through Smart-ID - our open source gift

27 February 2020 - Becca Melhuish

Here at Citizen OS, we’ve been busy writing two free, open source sets of code in JavaScript, which act as interfaces for using Estonia’s Smart-ID and Mobile-ID services. They’re yours if you want them!

Where is participation heading and how can each of us change it?

20 December 2019 - Questions by Gertha Teidla-Kunitsõn, written answers by Margo Loor.

Gertha Teidla-Kunitsõn from the Estonian Youth Work Center asked our CEO about the status of participation in society today and where is participation heading in the future.

Le Ciel and Citizen OS join forces for the planet.

2 December 2019 - Becca Melhuish

"The Twelve", a new documentary revealing indigenous communities’ wisdom to inspire global collective action, is being supported by Citizen OS through the creation of an online community platform.

Is the time of representative democracy over - Estonia without a parliament?

13 November 2019 - Margo Loor

Political events across the democratic world have created a ghost – the ghost of direct democracy. Populist movements everywhere demand that the people’s voice be heard more, mostly in the form of Swiss-style referendums.

GMB Indonesia - empowering Youth Leaders for unity and peace.

8 November 2019 - Anett Linno, edited by Becca Melhuish

Our Head of Partnerships, Anett Linno, walks us through her experiences at our partner GMB Indonesia’s Youth Adventure and Leaders Forum, in this personal blog and in-depth photo story.

AFoorum - Widening the scope of the Opinion Festival in Estonia.

5 September 2019 - Becca Melhuish

This annual democracy festival’s mission to improve debate culture and enhance civic education is supported by Citizen OS’s open source platform for the second year running.

The unexamined life is not worth living - On Socrates and Citizen OS.

18 July 2019 - Paul Emmet

Socratic discourses are no longer the privilege of the scholars and the intellectuals — now concerned citizens can propose, discuss, and learn from others, with the Citizen OS e-democracy platform.

Meet The Team - Localisation lead Oksana Naidjonova

4 July 2019 - Oksana Naidjonova answered, Becca Melhuish asked

Citizen OS’s localisation lead on her childhood translation profession, coffee-addicted eagles, and a cunning plan to take over the world.