The document summarizes findings from the OurSpace project, an e-participation platform used by young people across four European countries. Over its three-year period, the platform had over 4,300 users who engaged in 45 complete policy debates through posting, discussing, voting, and summarizing topics. The most successful engagement strategies included offline events, direct communication campaigns, and dedicated topic campaigns. Key lessons learned were that language barriers hindered cross-national debates, qualitative participation in deliberations takes a long time compared to social networks, and moderation is needed to guide discussion.

1. E-Participation for Young people in Europe:
Lessons Learned on a Cross-National Level
Michael Sachs, Judith Schossböck,
Zentrum für E-Governance
CEDEM14 – Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government

2. About the OurSpace Project
• Cross border, 4 languages: AT, CZ, GR, UK
• ~ 4300 Users, 4900 posts, 6100 likes, 600 topics
• July 2010 - December 2013
• 4 stages deliberation process:
• propose, discuss, vote, summary (45 complete debates)
• 20 politicians participated actively, mostly MEPs
• partly topic creation by decision makers
• Engagement of young users:
• Most successful strategies: offline events, direct mass communciation
campaigns, and dedicated topic campaigns
• E-participation environment with a modular design and
an interested, young and politically diverse community
• Available on JOINUP.eu

3. Lessons Learned
• Language major obstacle in cross-national debate
• “OurSpace is a good means to get involved or more
interested in politics”
• 75 % positive responses of 420 participants in user questionnaire
• More involvement from politicians requested
• institutional or political commitment necessary
• Qualitative participation in deliberation processes takes
long time
• contrasts the speed of the internet and social networks
• Moderation necessary
• low content moderation but guidance (e.g. proposal functionality)

4. Thank you for your attention!
Michael Sachs Judith Schossböck
Michael.Sachs@donau-uni.ac.at Judith.Schossböck@donau-uni.ac.at
www.joinourspace.eu