Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures

The report details findings from citizen dialogues in France, Germany, India, West Africa, and among youth, highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated systemic inequalities and eroded trust in institutions. It argues that social cohesion, centered on equality and transparency, is essential for resilience. The document recommends that leaders prioritize public services, environmental sustainability, and human rights, while shifting toward horizontal governance that actively includes citizens in decision-making through deliberative processes.

• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing systemic inequalities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, including racial and ethnic minority groups, the unemployed, and isolated individuals. This resulted in increased poverty, starvation, and violence against women and children.
• Participants identified several positive outcomes from the pandemic, including increased societal solidarity, a boost in healthcare infrastructure in developing nations, and a temporary reduction in the global carbon footprint that prompted reflection on consumption patterns.
• There is a observed decline in trust toward governments and institutions, driven by perceived inadequate crisis responses, muddled communication, and the spread of disinformation by political actors.
• Equality is viewed as the central requirement for advancing social cohesion. Specific priorities to achieve this include a fair, needs-based global vaccine distribution strategy and the implementation of progressive taxation to address wealth gaps.
• Participants recommended that future governance shift toward a 'horizontal' model that incorporates citizen needs and visions, moving away from neoliberal capitalist paradigms to prioritize human well-being over GDP.
• Deliberative processes and 'mini-publics' are proposed as essential tools to counteract polarization, rebuild trust, and improve the legitimacy of decision-making by including diverse, non-expert citizen voices.
• Environmental protection is a top priority for citizens, with calls for radical changes in energy sources, a halt to overconsumption, and the integration of climate education into school programs.

APA

World Economic Forum (2021). Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Citizen_Perspectives_on_a_Just_Great_Reset_2021.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures. 2021. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Citizen_Perspectives_on_a_Just_Great_Reset_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures |date=March 2021 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Citizen_Perspectives_on_a_Just_Great_Reset_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2021engaging, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Citizen_Perspectives_on_a_Just_Great_Reset_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }