Step up. Speak. Shape your community.
A civic platform where ideas are judged on merit, moderation is by sortition, and real consensus becomes binding action. Inspired by 2,500 years of democratic innovation.
This page is currently the Cardedeu pilot
Bema is now running with residents and local stakeholders in Cardedeu. Territory assignment and civic flows in this release are scoped to that pilot.
From idea to action in five steps
Each mechanism addresses a real democratic failure. Together, they form a complete civic infrastructure.
Propose
One carefully considered proposal per month. Guided 'thought pills' help you structure the problem, solution, and who benefits — no blank-page paralysis.
Discover
AI-powered semantic analysis shows existing proposals on the same topic. Join forces instead of fragmenting support — your quota is returned as a reward for collaboration.
Moderate
Seven randomly chosen citizens evaluate your proposal blindly — they don't know who wrote it. They must read it fully before voting. If rejected, you receive constructive feedback.
Build conviction
The community allocates limited support votes. Sustained backing over time weighs more than last-minute surges — conviction voting rewards genuine consensus.
Escalate to action
When consensus thresholds are met, the proposal reaches the partner institution, which has pre-committed resources through the Sovereignty Fund. The winning idea becomes an obligation.
The proposals list is available after sign-in.
Built on 2,500 years of democratic wisdom
In 508 BC, Athens created a system where any citizen could address the Assembly as an equal. The kleroterion randomly selected officials. Conviction was earned through argument, not status. Bema carries forward these principles — sortition, equal voice, merit-based evaluation — while correcting the exclusions that marred the original.
From Switzerland's recurring referendums to Ireland's Citizens' Assembly and Taiwan's consensus-oriented digital platforms, the deliberative tradition lives on. Bema synthesises these lessons into a coherent civic tool for the 21st century.
Read the full story
Pnyx hill, Athens — the bema stone
Why "Bema"?
The bema (Greek: βῆμα) was the stone speaker's platform on the Pnyx hill in Athens — the physical place where any citizen could step up and address the assembly. It embodied isegoria: not a throne for rulers, but a step carved into rock for anyone willing to speak. This platform names our project because it captures the same promise: a level surface where every voice starts equal.
Five design principles
Every mechanism addresses a specific failure of existing participation tools.
Scarcity as value
Limited quotas and attention budgets force reflection, eliminate spam, and ensure every contribution carries weight.
Structural depolarisation
Proposals are evaluated blindly. Moderators don't know the author — ideas are judged on merit alone.
Sortition democracy
Moderation by rotating citizen panels chosen by lottery. No self-appointed gatekeepers, no platform employees.
Binding impact
The Sovereignty Fund requires real institutional commitment before launch. Winning proposals must be executed.
Simple surface, robust depth
A clean interface for citizens. Behind it: brigading detection, minority protections, and transparent audit trails.
Democracy is a practice, not a product.
Join the pilot and help shape how civic decisions are made — starting in your community.