what makes a
good life?
The Citizens’ Panel on Good Life is a nationwide event that brings together people across Estonia to collectively reflect on how to guide our society toward the well-being of people and nature.
The citizens’ panel strengthens the momentum of change towards a more resilient future, since in 2025 many initiatives take place. In May, dreaming circles around Estonia take place to define the country in 2050; in October, active discussions will take place at the Degrowth Estonia and Biotoopia’s conference “Life in Post-Growth Estonia”; and in November, Rohetiiger will unveil its balanced economy concept for Estonia.
Reflecting on
the Good Life
The citizens’ panel brings together a representative sample of Estonia's population (a "mini-Estonia") of 30 people to discuss what constitutes a good life and whether our current policies support it.
A new approach to decisionmaking
We are testing a small-scale citizens' assembly (citizen panel) as a model that can help our society to address complex issues, overcome disagreements, and foster greater unity.
Setting changes
in motion
We believe that meaningful change begins with the readiness of citizens and the courage of decision-makers. As a result of the citizens’ panel policymakers gain the confidence to prioritize the well-being of people and nature - and not solely economic growth.
What happens in the citizens’ Panel?
A citizen panel is a deliberative democracy format where decisions are made by a cross-section of society—a “mini-public.” Grounded in the best available science, collective wisdom, and consensus-building, it is an empowering decision-making method for citizens and communities alike. Every resident has an equal chance to be selected, as participants are chosen through a random selection process. The citizens’ assembly ensures that the voices of everyday people are represented in shaping public life.
The Good Life Citizens’ Panel is made up of 30 people from across Estonia who represent the country’s population. It is intended for all residents of Estonia, and everyone has an equal chance of being selected to participate.
August–September 2025, over three weekends, on five days in total.
We will explore basic psychological needs of people and explore how Estonian policymaking meets them.
We will provide the Estonian government with recommendations on how tobetter support the well-being of people and nature.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED
OUTCOMES?
PUBLIC EVALUATION OF POLICY:
The mini-Estonia will assess how current political decisions support a good life. The citizens’ panel’s proposals will highlight key areas that society and climate policy should focus on.
NEW PROVERBS:
The assembly will create new ideas and sayings that can help guide policies toward better outcomes. These new expressions will be made public so they can be used to reflect the opinion of the Estonian people in the future.
IMPROVED AWARENESS:
We will use the summaries from the dreaming circles held in the spring to develop a more concrete plan for how to share the assembly’s themes more broadly with the public.
A PROTOTYPE FOR NEW PARTICIPATION METHODS:
The design of the citizens’ panel will serve as a model for how the public sector can, in the future, discuss and decide on complex issues together with residents.
PREVIOUS CITIZENS'
Assemblies IN ESTONIA
The Good Life Citizens’ Assembly is the sixth citizens’ assembly held in Estonia, and the second one on a national scale.
Previous assemblies have addressed topics such as the role of green spaces in mitigating climate impacts in Tallinn (2023), sustainable mobility in Tartu (2022), young people’s perspectives on a just transition in Ida-Virumaa (2021), forestry (2019), and the financing of political parties and elections (2013). Thanks to the 2013 citizens’ assembly, Estonia gained the right for citizens to propose legislation to Parliament and the process of founding a political party was simplified.
Citizens’ assemblies are an increasingly common method for discussing and deciding on complex issues across the European Union and at national and local levels around the world.
ORGANIZERS
The Good Life Citizens’ Assembly is organized by the DD Democracy Centre and the Praxis Thinktank, together with many other partners.
FUNDING
The citizens’ assembly is supported by Mondo’s NoPlanetB program, which is funded by the European Commission and ESTDEV – the Estonian Centre for International Development. The assembly is co-funded by the Democracy Centre.
