In this episode, host Mike Boyle interviews Jez Hall, the founder of Shared Future, a UK-based organization dedicated to community empowerment, social economy, and democratic participation. Hall, based in Manchester, discusses the challenge of getting local voices heard when they are far from the center of power.
Shared Future, which started as a spin-out from Lancaster University, focuses on two key areas: social enterprise and deliberative democracy. Hall explains their work in deliberative democracy, where they convene diverse groups of citizens for in-depth conversations about complex issues, such as climate change, policing, and the role of museums. These citizens then make recommendations for change based on their discussions.
A major part of the conversation focuses on participatory budgeting (PB), a process that originated in Brazil in the 1980s. Hall describes PB as a method for citizens to directly decide how a portion of a public budget is spent, ensuring that public policy is informed by, with, and for the people. He views a budget not just as a restriction but as a three-year learning experience focused on collective well-being. Hall shares a powerful story about an elderly woman who, through a PB process, found her voice and gained the confidence to speak about what mattered to her community, illustrating how these processes can be “terrifying, but magnificent”.
Hall and Boyle also discuss the challenges of implementing these democratic practices, noting that it is difficult for those in power to cede control. However, Hall sees this as an evolution, not a revolution, suggesting that allocating even a small portion (e.g., 1%) of a public budget to PB can drive significant innovation and make the system more responsive to local knowledge. Hall concludes by highlighting the importance of building a “continuous democracy” through a diverse ecosystem of democratic practices, from street protests to deliberative spaces, that empower everyday people to be active participants rather than mere observers of their world.
Shared Future’s Green PB Leaflet
Participatory Budgeting Example – Your Pots Your Say
