The popularity of citizens' assemblies continues to grow across the democracies of the Global North. From Ireland to New Zealand, citizens are increasingly being given the opportunity to directly involve themselves in democratic decision-making.

Much has been written about the sorry state that democracy finds itself in globally. Democratic backsliding -- the weakening of democracy in favour of authoritarianism -- is prevalent. The climate crisis, this century's greatest challenge, continues to stump democratic governments.

The voting public globally seems to have lost trust in their representatives and the decisions they make. Far-right populism has returned, indicative of a sizable portion of society feeling underserved by mainstream politics. South African democracy has proven immune to none of these developments.

In response to this global crisis of democracy, a host of potential remedies have been suggested. Citizens' assemblies, forming part of a larger movement to help citizens reclaim their democratic power, are one such remedy.

Emphasising inclusion, informed discussion, and consensus-based decisions, citizens' assemblies are a new sort of democratic process that gathers together a representative group of citizens over a number of days to learn about, deliberate on, and put forward recommendations on a policy issue affecting their community.

As in the case of Ireland's assembly on gender equality, participants are guided throughout the process by trained facilitators who help ensure quality deliberation, and subject experts who inform citizens...