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Hardcopy  or  #Hashtag?    

Young  peoples’  vision  for  a  digital  parl iament  

 

 

17  November  2014  

Attlee  Suite,  Portcullis  House  

2:30pm  –  4:00pm

 

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Overview    

Parliament  Week  is  a  programme  of  events  and  activities  that  connect  people  across  the  UK  with  

Parliament  and  democracy.    This  year’s  events  will  run  from  14  -­‐  20  November,  2014.    

With   rising   levels   of   political   disengagement,   particularly   amongst   young   people,  we   need   to  

better   explore   the   role   social   media   and   digital   technology   can   play   in   increasing   youth  

engagement   with   parliamentary   democracy   in   the   United   Kingdom.     Additionally,   if   we  

recognise  that  the  demands  on  and  of  parliamentary  democracy  will  be  different  in  the  future,  

then  how  best  can  Parliament  embrace  new  opportunities  in  a  digital  age?  

The  Political  Studies  Association  and  its  Specialist  Group  on  Parliaments  and  Legislatures  are  

organising   an   event   for   Parliament   Week   2014   which   brings   together   young   people   to  

examine  the  themes  around  digital  democracy.    This  event  will  add  to  the  work  and  research  

being   undertaken   as   part   of   The   Speaker’s   Digital   Democracy   Commission.     The   interactive  

event  will  bring  together  school  students  from  a  series  of  regional  workshops  organised  around  

the   country   by   different   universities   (between   8   September   and   10   October)   in   advance   of  

Parliament  Week  and  will  be  led  by  actor  and  film  maker  Femi  Oyeniran.  

The   subsequent   pages   include   further   information   about   the   organisation   of   the   regional  

workshops,  an  outline  to  help  structure  each  regional  workshop  session  and  a  brief  outline  of  

the  main  event.    

 

 

 

   

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Regional  Workshops:  Organisation  

 

The   regional   workshops   should   take   place   between  Monday   8th   September   and   Friday   10  

October  2014.      Each  workshop  should  consist  of  a  discussion  between  A-­‐level  /  Scottish  Higher  

pupils,   facilitated   by   academic   staff   and/or   undergraduate   students   on   ways   to   enhance  

parliamentary  democracy  through  digital  means.  The  workshop  should  last  about  1h30mn  and  

will  be  structured  around  group  work,  with  students  working  on  specific  ideas  to  enhance  youth  

engagement   with   Parliament   through   digital   means.   Each   workshop   should   finish   with   the  

selection  of  one  idea  to  present  at  the  main  event.    

Further  details  surrounding  the  organisation  of  the  regional  workshops  are  outlined  below.    It  is  

worth   noting   that   these   are   suggestive   ideas   and   comments,   unless   where   stated   (in   bold),  

which  will  help  ensure   that  all   regional  workshops  maintain  a  consistency  and   reach   their   full  

potential:  

• Please   notify   James   Ludley   (james.ludley@psa.ac.uk)   as   soon   as   you   have   your   agreed  date,  time  and  venue.    Coordination  of  each  regional  workshop  should  be  done  locally  and  a  contact  person  should  be  named  along  with  the  date  and  venue.  

• The  PSA  will  not  be  covering  any  financial  costs  to  support  the  regional  workshops.      

• However,   the   PSA   can   support   participating   universities   in   hosting   their   own   regional  workshop  by  coordinating  with  local  schools  and  offering  materials  for  the  session.      

• Additionally,   the   PSA   and   Parliaments   and   Legislatures   Specialist   Group  will   subsidise   the  travel  costs  of  up  to  2  students  per  workshop  to  travel  to  London  to  represent  their  region  at  the  main  Parliament  Week  event.  

• With  this  in  mind,  as  the  lead  for  your  workshop,  please  identify  two  confident  participants  during  your  workshop  who  may  be  approached  at  the  end.  

• Ask  permission  at  the  beginning  to  take  photographs  during  the  workshop.    Please  do  take  a  large   amount   of   photographs   so   the   best   ones   can   be   used   as   a   montage   for   the   main  Parliament  Week  event.  

• If  using  Twitter  during  your  event,  please  include  the  hashtag  #PSAPW.  You  may  also  like  to  use  the  official  Parliament  Week  hashtag  #ParliamentWeek.  

The  ideas  from  all  the  regional  workshops  will  feed  into  the  Hardcopy  or  #Hashtag?  event,  on  

Monday  17th  November,  2014.      

   

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Regional  Workshops:  Outl ine  of  the  Session  

 

The   regional   workshops   may   be   held   at   the   participating   university   or   in   the   participating  

school/sixth   form   college.   The   classroom  must   be   suitable   for   small   group  work.   Please   note  

however  that  no  travel  expenses  can  be  paid  for  travel  to/from  this  event.  It  is  anticipated  that  

each  workshop  will  last  for  90  minutes,  though  this  can  be  shortened  to  an  hour  depending  on  

the   time   available.   Below   is   a   guide   to   how   this   session   can   be   conducted.   This   is   only   a  

suggestion;  please  feel  free  to  modify  the  workshop  as  needed.    

 

INTRODUCTION:                        (15  mins)  

Students   should   be   given   a   short   introduction   to   the   theme   and   aims   of   the  workshop.   This  

could  be  done  by  the  school  teacher  before  the  workshop  itself,  or  by  the  university  contact  at  

the  start  of  the  session.    Possible  themes  to  cover  include:  

 

What  are  the  aims  of  the  Session?  

• To  debate  and  discuss  possible  ways  of  enhancing  parliamentary  democracy  through  digital  

means,  with  a  particular  focus  on  youth  engagement.  

• To  develop  one  idea  in  detail.    

• To  contribute  towards  the  Digital  Democracy  Commission’s  final  report.    

• To  select  up  to  two  students  to  represent  the  school  and/or  university  at  our  main  event  in  

Westminster  during  Parliament  Week.  Please  see  more  details  about  the  main  event  at  the  

bottom  of  this  document.    

 

Youth  Engagement  and  Digital  Democracy  

• Young   people   are   typically   less   engaged   with   traditional   forms   of   politics   and   political  

activity  and  this  has  implications  for  Parliament  and  political  participation.    

• Digital  democracy  includes  the  use  of  the  internet  and  social  media  as  a  means  to  encourage  

and  promote  democracy  and  to  share  citizens’  ideas  and  views.      

• Technology  can  play  a  key  role  in  engaging  young  people  in  the  political  system.  

 

 

 

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What  is  The  Speaker’s  Digital  Democracy  Commission?  

• The  Commission  was  established  by  the  Speaker  John  Bercow  in  December  2013.  There  are  

8   commissioners,   drawn   from   Parliament,   academia,   business   and   civil   society   (Robert  

Halfon   MP,   Meg   Hillier   MP,   Paul   Kane,   Cristina   Leston-­‐Bandeira,   Helen   Milner,   Emma  

Mulqueeny,  Femi  Oyeniran  and  Toni  Pearce).    

• The  Commission  will  make   recommendations  on  how  parliamentary  democracy   can  make  

better   use   of   digital   technologies   in   5   areas:   representing   the   people,   making   laws,  

scrutinising   government,   encouraging   citizens’   engagement   with   democracy   and  

encouraging  citizen  dialogue.    

• The   Commission   has   been   taking   evidence   from   politicians,   interest   groups,   students   and  

the   general   public   and   will   be   publishing   its   report   early   in   2015   to   coincide   with   the  

celebrations  of  the  Magna  Carta  and  the  750  birthday  of  Parliament.  

• Students   could   be   shown   this   short   video   of   Mr   Speaker   outlining   the   aims   of   the  

Commission.    

 

ACTIVITY                                (30  mins)  

Students  should  be  divided  into  small  groups  (ideally  3-­‐5  per  group  depending  on  the  class  size).    

If  possible  one  undergraduate  student  from  the  University  involved  should  be  assigned  to  each  

group  to  act  as  a  facilitator.  (NB:  If  this  is  not  possible  the  undergraduates  involved  could  move  

between  several  groups  during  the  session).    

 

Each   group   should   be   asked   to   discuss   their   own   views   and/or   experiences   about   youth  

engagement  with  Parliament  and  to  brainstorm  their  ideas  for  using  technology  to  enhance  this  

engagement.      

 

Each  group  should  then  choose  one  of  their  ideas  to  develop  further.    They  should  consider  how  

the   idea   would   work   in   practice   and   what   the   benefits   would   be   for   young   people   and   for  

Parliament.    They  will  need  to  appoint  a  rapporteur  who  should  be  ready  to  present  their  idea  

to  the  rest  of  the  class.  

 

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The   undergraduate   student   assigned   to   the   group   will   be   responsible   for   encouraging   the  

students  to  discuss  their  ideas  and  to  help  them  prepare  a  persuasive  case  to  present  to  the  rest  

of  the  class.    

 

PRESENTATIONS  AND  CLASS  DEBATE                          (30  mins)  

The  groups  should  take   it   in  turns  to  present  their   idea  to  the  class.  A   few  minutes  should  be  

allowed  for  questions  from  other  students.    

 

The  university  contact  should  try  to  draw  out  some  of  the  key  themes/ideas  from  the  students’  

presentations  and  encourage  the  class  to  debate  the  main  ideas  involved.  This  could  involve  for  

example,  identifying  the  key  challenges  for  youth  engagement  or  further  debate  on  the  benefits  

and  limitations  of  greater  digital  democracy.  

 

VOTE                  (5  mins)  

The  class  should  be  asked  to  vote  for  the  most  persuasive  presentation.  In  the  event  of  a  tie  the  

undergraduate  students  should  be  asked  to  choose  the  winning  idea.  

 

 

CONCLUSION                          (10  mins)  

The  university  contact  should  then  summarise  and  close  the  session.    

 

The  winning  group  should  choose  one  person  who  would  be  willing  to  represent  them  and  to  

present   their   idea   to   other   A-­‐level   and   Scottish   Higher   students,   academics   and  

parliamentarians  at  the  Parliament  Week  event  in  Westminster  on  Monday  17th  November  2014  

(see   more   details   below).   The   name   and   contact   details   of   the   winning   group,   their   school  

contact   and   a   short   (one   or   two   sentences)   summary   of   their   idea   should   be   sent   to   James  

Ludley  (James.Ludley@psa.ac.uk).    

Students  who  are  interested  in  the  theme  of  the  workshop  and  who  would  like  to  find  out  more  

about  digital  democracy  and  engagement  can  sign  up  to  receive  a  resources  handout  (which  will  

be   emailed   at   a   later   date).   The   university   contact   or   teacher   should   collect   their   email  

addresses  and  forward  these  to  the  Parliaments  and  Legislatures  Specialist  Group.    

 

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Supporting  Resources  

The  organising  team  will  send  further  resources  to  support  the  implementation  of  the  regional  

workshops.   This   will   include   resources   about   Parliament   Week,   Parliament   and   the   Digital  

Democracy  Commission.    

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Hardcopy  or  #Hashtag?  Young  peoples’  v is ion  for  a  digital  parl iament      

This   event   will   take   place   during   Parliament  Week;   on  Monday   17th   November   in   the   Attlee  

Suite,  Portcullis  House,  2.30-­‐4.00pm.  All  of   the  regional  workshops’   ideas  will  be  presented  at  

our  main  event  in  Parliament.  

 

The  event  will  be  attended  by  up  to  120  young  people,  as  well  as  some  parliamentarians  and  

academics.   The   event   will   consist   of   a   large   debate   facilitated   by   filmmaker   and   DDC  

Commissioner,  Femi  Oyeniran,  who  will  bring  his  creative  skills  to  make  this  a  highly  interactive  

session.    

 

Attending   the   main   event   is   not   compulsory,   however.   The   organising   team   will   be   able   to  

present   the   regional  workshops’   ideas   in   those   cases  where   no   representative   can   attend   or  

regional  teams  may  submit  a  2  minute  video  to  be  played  during  the  main  event.  

 

 

Cover  Image:  UK  Parliament  (Parliamentary  copyright  images  are  reproduced  here  with  the  

permission  of  Parliament).