Currently taking shape.
500.org is an Australian initiative to advance representative, informed public deliberation on major questions facing democratic societies.
The idea is simple: when important public decisions involve complex evidence, competing interests and difficult value judgements, a representative cross-section of ordinary citizens should have the opportunity to become informed, question experts and advocates, deliberate with one another, and express their considered judgements.
500.org aims to help initiate, promote and secure support for rigorous deliberative processes in Australia and internationally, working with leading researchers and practitioners while maintaining political and institutional independence.
Artificial intelligence — and the choices societies now face about its development, use and governance — is the initial focus of 500.org.
In the longer term, 500.org will also explore ways in which citizens themselves might initiate representative public deliberation on issues where sufficient public support exists.
500.org was founded by Kerry Hayes, an Australian advocate of Deliberative Polling® who has been involved with deliberative-democracy initiatives internationally, including helping to introduce Deliberative Polling® to Japan.
The initiative is currently being developed as an independent, non-partisan organisation dedicated to expanding the practical use of representative citizen deliberation.
Enquiries: info@500.org
Deliberative Polling® is a registered trademark of James S. Fishkin.