Iran's Political & Social Renaissance

In the political landscape of a future Iran, there should be a safe and encouraging environment for engaging and expressing diverse views of citizens. Because partisan and factional challenges, as in many countries, are inevitable in Iran.  Freedom of associations  must be extended beyond party activities, creating spaces where citizens can express their intellectual and individual independence.

Freedom of association includes democratic participation, the right to collect, and the ability to influence collective decisions. For a just society, not only should goods and opportunities be distributed fairly, but also environments where individual freedoms and autonomy can flourish. A citizens’ assembly with an emphasis on direct participation and consultative democracy can be a solution to the challenges of a diverse republic.

The purpose of the Citizen Assemblies is to create the satisfaction of citizens and the government’s commitment to their interests. They should be conceived as a civic and institutional project to counter the flaws of traditional democracy. Achieving legitimacy requires coordination of government actions and acceptance of citizens. In this context, civil society plays a vital role in advancing democracy and improving governance. By the interaction between the government and citizens, it is possible to respond to the needs and desires of the people (1).

It can also be learned from the experiences of the 1979 revolution that in the early stages of the establishment of the new republic of Iran, the challenge of division among citizens To avoid this sense of differentiation, we need to make sure that no group of citizens is influenced by one group or majority. Unfortunately, many people are only interested in their news sources and tend to see only one side of the issue, an issue that needs to be addressed.

Civil society, with its organizations and groups, plays a key role in establishing communication between the state and the people and usually represents the collective voice of the people. The goal of a democratic government is to allow citizens to exercise their rights and duties. The role of civil society is to ensure the realization of freedom, justice and legitimacy .

The Citizens’ Assembly is an innovative institution that engages in meaningful and informed dialogue on a variety of topics such as education, health, economic policy and human rights. It operates on the basis of the principles of advisory democracy. The process begins by studying topics to make citizens more aware, then consultations begin in smaller, diverse groups to find common ground (2).

After being aware of the common grounds, the Assembly will reach a decision stage where the members adopt different recommendations using a variety of methods. These recommendations are then presented to the public and the legislature. This process is led by  a team of impartial and expert experts. With the foundation of the Citizens’ Assembly, there is an opportunity to make informed and consultative decisions. It puts matters outside party politics and leaves it in the hands of citizens. This approach helps to strengthen democratic processes and improve the quality of decision-making. The recommendations of the Assembly should be taken seriously and considered as symbols of the general will of the  people. In order to maintain the independence of the Assembly, provisions may be made, such as that the Parliament must respond publicly to recommendations.  Without wanting to replace traditional institutions (legislative and judicial), this institution adds a new layer of advice and advice to the legal  process of citizens (3).

Another important area of cooperation for the Citizens’ Assembly is the interpretation of the Constitution. It can provide the courts with the collective opinion of citizens on challenging legal issues. What is important is that the Assembly should not replace the judiciary, but should be viewed as a complementary institution. The Assembly’s cooperation with judicial institutions can help promote dialogue culture and improve judicial processes (4,5).

The Citizens’ Assembly, with a combination that reflects the diversity and diversity of Iranian society, should be recognized as one of the pillars of democracy in Iran. This assembly, like the heartbeat of a community, is dynamic and active. The random selection approach of members assures the community that diverse and genuine representatives from all layers of society are present and discuss and reflect on vital issues of society.

To begin, it is necessary to assemble the Assembly fairly and harmoniously across all genders, ages, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic statuses and diverse regions. From Persians to Azeris, Kurds, Lurs, Arabs, Baluchis, Turkmens and other ethnicities, everyone should be present in this collection. The religious diversity of Iranian society should also be regarded with respect (6). 

The objectives and activities of the Citizens’ Assembly should be focused on critical national issues such as environmental protection, women’s rights, rights of ethnicities, sustainable exploitation of natural resources, revisions to education, health, economic policies, digitalization, transparency in government activities, human rights and energy strategies (7).

The Citizen’s Assembly is capable of making significant changes in the democratic process of Iran. It acts as a bridge between citizens and government branches and brings various voices of society to the government. By examining important social and political issues, the Citizen Assembly contributes to effective policy making in these areas.

In addition, by emphasizing the rights and responsibilities of the government and citizens in the social contract   the Citizens’ Assembly can play an effective role in promoting the legitimacy of the Republic of Iran and as a symbol of commitment to participatory democracy and the central role of citizens in shaping their destiny.

For the success of this institution, the random selection of participants with Iranian socio-cultural diversity has a transparent and effective consultative process and recommendations of the Assembly should be taken into account.Together with strengthening other institutions and promoting civic education, the Citizen Assembly can help Iran build an inclusive, accountable and resilient future republic and determine the legitimacy of the new Republic of Iran.

1. Olsen, Johan P., ‘Democratic Accountability and the Terms of Political Order’, Democratic Accountability, Political Order, and Change: Exploring Accountability Processes in an Era of European Transformation (Oxford, 2017; online edn, Oxford Academic, 20 Apr. 2017), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198800606.003.0001, accessed 25 July 2023.
2. Lempert, Robert. 2022. “A Way To Return The Constitution To The People: Having Citizens’ Assemblies Review U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Could Restore Faith in the System.” Noema Magazine, July 19.
3. Talmadge, Eva. “Citizens’ assemblies: are they the future of democracy?” The Guardian, February 1, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/01/citizens-assemblies-are-they-the-future-of-democracy
4. Pal, Michael (2012). “The Promise and Limits of Citizens’ Assemblies: Deliberation, Institutions and the Law of Democracy“. Queen’s University at Kingston. 38
5. Lockard, Alan. Public Choice 147, no. 1/2 (2011): 255–57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41483656.
6. Dowlen, Oliver. The Political Potential of Sortition: A Study of the Random Selection of Citizens for Public Office. United Kingdom: Imprint Academic, 2008.

       7. Manin, Bernard. The Principles          of Representative Government.            Themes in the Social Sciences.            Cambridge: Cambridge                         University Press, 1997. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511659935.