International award launched to rebuild public trust in politics

An award recognising the efforts of politicians to promote human rights and social justice is being introduced as part of an effort to rebuild people’s trust in politics.

The Innovation in Politics Awards is calling on Irish people to nominate projects at local, regional, national and international levels where a politician played a leading role in promoting human rights, social justice and democracy.

The winning politicians will be chosen by a citizen jury made up of 1,000 people from across the European Union.

Ronny Zuckermann, co-founder of the Innovation in Politics Institute which came up with the idea, said open-minded, innovative politicians from across Europe would have a chance to showcase their efforts to improve the lives of their constituents and move away from the negative associations with politics.

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“Citizens have been losing trust in politics for some time now, let down by poor decision-making and choices,” he said, adding that a recent Eurobarometer survey revealed more than half of Europeans say their interest are not taken into account by politicians.

Prof Gary Murphy, of the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University, said the awards will give Irish politicians the chance to be part of a network that "inspires others in Ireland and across Europe to be courageous and inclusive".

Citizen participation

He added that the participation of citizens in selecting the winners was a key aspect of the awards and called on Irish people interested in politics to sign up for the jury.

Jury members will not score projects from their own country but will have an opportunity to learn about political initiatives in other Europe states.

Those selected for the jury will pick a shortlist of projects divided into nine categories including civilisation, human rights, freedom, jobs, prosperity and quality of life.

Mr Zuckermann says he hopes the awards will highlight how politics can develop and “renew itself”.

“We will make sure that successful and effective solutions to societal issues are seen by a wider public and across borders as they may serve as an inspiration for others.”

More information is available at innovationinpolitics.eu and nominations close on July 31st.