Thread by @estrangeirada

So, I know this was last week, but I'm so proud of it, that here is a thread about the amazing global conference we held last week within #IPEN about public engagement and its impact on parliaments #ParlEngage. We had three hubs: Australia, Europe, Brazil. 1/8

The conference started in Australia, brilliantly led by Sarah Moulds (@UniversitySA) to explore different perspectives on public engagement, bringing together academics and practitioners - scroll down for the programme: parliament-engagement.com 2/8

The Europe hub followed with a session giving an overview of different public engagement practices, illustrated by education programmes in Ireland, engagement approaches in Ghana, and overview of the IPU forthcoming report on engagement 3/8.

This was followed by an interactive session where we facilitated collaborative perspectives on a toolkit about public engagement - collaborative work in 13 breakout groups with 50 people, from v different countries/backgrounds - awesomely inspiring 4/8

Followed by a great roundtable discussing different experiences of integrating mini-publics with parliaments in various countries in Europe 5/8.

We then moved to the Brazil hub, for its first session, where European and other non-Brazilian audiences were 'flabbergasted' with the use of social media by parliamentarians in Brazil - programme here (scroll down): parliament-engagement.com 6/8

Followed by the second Brazil session about the huge range of digital tools used by parliament there, but also how WhatsApp has been used to influence these - programme here (scroll down): parliament-engagement.com 7/8

In short, a totally amazing long day, bringing together academics and practitioners from over 40 countries to share and think collaboratively about public engagement. Definitely inspiring; right, I'll shut up about it now (do check #ParlEngage though;)). 8/8.

(PS: and yes, we had an amazing scriber for the day, the fabulous @NiftyFoxCreativ 😊).

And now (that I've finished my Pilates class😄), the people I couldn't fit in with descriptions, which made it all possible: Australia hub led by Sarah Moulds, with Mark Evans, Simon Niemeyer & Nick Vlahos, Laura Sweeney & Lauren Monaghan (and plenty others:))

Session 1, Europe hub: @AileenWalkerUK, @DerekDignam, @ConorReale, @KateAddo_ ,@VoterEngagement

Session 2, Europe hub: LOADS OF PEOPLE (51 in fact)😄

Session 3, Europe hub: @StephenElstub, @ClaudiaChwalisz, Min Reuchamps & @ZohrehKhoban

Session 1, Brazil hub: Cristiane Brum Bernardes, Marina Gattas & @CristianoFaria

Session 2, Brazil hub: @mitozoIB, Viktor Chagas & Diego Cunha

And finally the lovely #IPEN Exec team, that supported & organised: @EliseUberoi, @VoterEngagement, Nick Caley, @NaomiPaxton, Sarah Moulds and @NicoleDNisbett (who organised most of it!), together with Cristiane Brum & @mitozoIB. And @NiftyFoxCreativ, of course!

Right, I can go on leave now. Tara.