It is four years ago Netwerk Democratie and partners - including us - started a series of public lectures on new democratic practises. In this 40th edition Netwerk Democratie assesses what this series has resulted in: from do’s & don’ts, alternative models, and new instruments for democratic innovation to the role of governance, co-creation, education and leadership.

Is our democracy in transition? Traditional democratic institutions, such as elections and political parties, are decreasing in effective power and appreciation. Other players like citizens initiatives, social entrepreneurs and cooperatives are more and more taking up responsibility for the public good. But is this a time of fundamental change? With New Democracy we research democratic renewal as a transition phenomenon. A transition comes about when a ‘landscape’ of socio economic trends and a ‘niche’ of experimental and innovative practices jointly build up pressure high enough to enforce the existing ‘regime’ (system) to change. New Democracy looks at the effects of transitions in the many areas such as energy, care and area development on the way we have organized our democracy. At the same time we look at the transition within democracy itself as a precondition for the coming about of transition in other domains.