Democracy Biennale: debates on living wills and fiscal federalism

Between 2009 and 2011, the Municipality of Turin and the committee promoting “Italia Centocinquanta”, a celebration of the 150-year anniversary of the founding of Italy, commissioned Avventura Urbana to create two deliberative democracy processes on the major social issues of living wills and fiscal federalism, aimed at a range of local people as part of the Democracy Biennale cultural event.

The first process centred on living wills and involved the use of Focus Group and Electronic Town Meeting in the cities of Turin and Florence, where around 350 people were able to participate simultaneously. Discussions focused on how doctors should behave when faced with a patient’s living will, what limits should be imposed on living wills, and what should be included in relevant legislation. The second process involved an informed discussion on fiscal federalism, with the organisation of four citizen’s juries, with two in Turin, one in Florence and one in Lamezia Terme. The results of the discussions were then presented at the second edition of the Democracy Biennale in Turin.