How are members selected and what is their role?

Citizens’ assemblies are innovative in that they use a broadly representative sample of a specific population to create recommendations that have been informed by a wide variety of diverse backgrounds and experiences.

The 2021 Citizens’ Assembly of Mostar process started with the selection of members by inviting people from the City of Mostar to participate in the Assembly. Letters inviting people to register their interest in taking part were sent to randomly selected households. Any person aged 16 or over living in a household that received an invitation to participate in the assembly was then eligible to reply by telephone, electronically online or by registering at the designated mailbox. Respondents were asked to complete a form asking a number of questions that helped the design team to select members in a way that is broadly representative of the entire Mostar population.

In order to create an assembly that is broadly representative, members were selected from the pool of applicants based on different criteria:

• Gender
• Age group
• Level of education
• City district areas
• Economic criterion
• Ethnicity

These criteria were specifically identified to ensure that the assembly was composed of a diverse group of individuals, taking into consideration the specifics of Mostar, so that members can learn about, understand, and connect with people who have different backgrounds and experiences. In order to ensure the Assembly’s impartiality, the Rulebook also prescribed the ineligibility criteria for participation.

In total, 5.000 mails were delivered to 5.000 households, out of which 40 members will be drawn by lot in accordance with the set criteria, plus additional 8 alternate members. Alternate members were entitled to participate in the event that one of the 40 participants initially selected, was unable to attend the Assembly meetings.