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Islanders will have the chance to learn more about Jersey's political system this week through a series of events and activities.
Now in its fifth year, Democracy Week's varied programme of events has been designed to encourage locals of all ages and from various communities to engage with States Members and learn more about how decisions are made about the island.
Here's everything you need to know...
States Members will be dotted around the island at pop-up stands and are inviting islanders to come and discuss the Government’s proposed Budget with them. The dates, times and locations are listed below.
Free tours of the States Chamber and a political history stroll around St Helier will also be available to book. The details of each are listed below:
States Chamber Tour (1hr)
St Helier Political History Tour (1.5hrs)
All entries from the ‘My Island’ photography competition, which asked islanders to capture images under the theme 'Local Icons', is on display in the Royal Square until Sunday 29 September.
States Members will be visiting several schools and colleges during the week to deliver informative assemblies and workshops, as well as assisting some of them with their own school elections. Students at Highlands College will also get a chance to question States Members.
All primary schools have also been provided with Democracy Week activity packs, which includes a competition to design an election poster to win a day trip to Westminster and tour the UK Parliament.
Portuguese-speakers can learn more about Jersey’s political system through two free sessions in the coffee lounge at Jersey Library on Halkett Place. The sessions will take place:
Online guides to the States Assembly, ‘The States Simplified’, have also been launched giving Islanders from Polish, Portuguese and Romanian communities everything they need to know about the States Assembly in their respective language.
Islanders will be able to share their views about how to increase electoral engagement with topical questions posted on digital screens and the States Assembly's social media accounts.
On Saturday (28 September), members of the public will be invited to join a debate in the States Chamber for the first time. They will discuss and vote on how ambitious the island should be in pursuing its net-zero target for carbon emissions under the watchful eye of Jersey's Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq.
Whist the closing date for applications has now passed, the public gallery will be open from 9:45 and the debate will be live-streamed States Assembly YouTube channel.
Looking forward to Democracy Week 2024, Carina Alves, Chair of the Political Awareness and Education Sub-Committee of PPC, said: "We are really excited to have such a broad programme of events and activities to engage Islanders at every age and stage of political engagement. With two years until the next election, we’re particularly pleased to be offering Islanders the chance to experience what it is like to debate in the Chamber.
We always try to include activities that live on beyond Democracy Week and having our 5-minute ‘explainer’ videos and States Assembly information booklets launching in Portuguese, Polish and Romanian means that more Islanders will be able to access information about the Assembly and, we hope, feel empowered to get involved," she added.
To learn more about any of the events listed above and reserve free tickets for the People's Debate visit the States Assembly's website.
In Democracy Week 2023, a States Assembly Podcast was launched and all 14 episodes, which provide quick overviews of Jersey’s political ins and outs are available on the States Assembly's website as well as Apple and Spotify.
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