“Our European values—democracy, freedom, and the rule of law—are under threat”, President Ursula von der Leyen recently highlighted. It is in this pivotal moment marked by the rise of disinformation, increasing polarisation, and threats to democratic values, when a European consortium sets out to build an open, multilingual, and cross-cultural space for citizen deliberation. The EU-funded MultiPoD project emerges to strengthen democracy by fostering citizen engagement and inclusivity.
Erika Staël von Holstein, CEO of Re-Imagine Europa (RIE), reflects the core values that inspired RIE’s participation in this project: “Diversity is one of Europe’s greatest strengths, and the MultiPoD project precisely values this plurality by offering a fully multilingual and multicultural space for democratic deliberation”.
To transform this vision into reality, Vienna-based Project Coordinator webLyzard technology has brought together a consortium of leading research, technology and social innovation organisations: Decidim Foundation (Spain), ETHOS Lab (Greece), KMOP (Greece), Open Source Politics (France), The Open University (UK), Re-Imagine Europa (Belgium), Storypact (Austria), and the NOVA University of Lisbon (Portugal).
Cultural and linguistic barriers can make it challenging for citizens to engage in political dialogue. Based on a thorough analysis of obstacles to citizen deliberation, MultiPoD will use technology to interconnect existing communities and increase the transparency of political participation. The project will use the open-source citizen deliberation platform Decidim, whose cohesive, user-friendly experience is already being leveraged by public institutions all over Europe.
“Digital technologies and artificial intelligence are often seen as enablers of disinformation and polarisation. In MultiPoD, we want to expand the narrative and show how the same technologies can also be a force for political equity and participation. The project will enhance inclusivity and promote dialogue, especially for the benefit of linguistic minorities and underrepresented groups,” says Project Coordinator Professor Arno Scharl, Managing Partner of webLyzard technology and Director of the Research Center for New Media Technology at Modul University Vienna.
AI technologies such as a Culture-Specific Language Model (CSLM) and a Knowledge Graph (CSKG) will enable meaningful interactions across linguistic and cultural divides, promoting balanced discussions based on evidence and reducing biases. For instance, a dedicated visual analytics dashboard will track inclusion strategies and biases, offering policymakers essential insights. By concentrating on the underlying meaning, MultiPoD’s interactive visualisations aim to promote respectful dialogue and clarify linguistic misunderstandings that can arise from different backgrounds and stylistic differences.
MultiPoD has been funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (HORIZON) under grant agreement No. 101178821.
