Something significant for Decidim happened in Bern some weeks ago. In the heart of the Swiss capital, a group of Decidim service providers,city representatives, civic tech advocates and researchers, gathered with a shared purpose: to officially bring the Decidim Swiss Local Chapter into existence by signing up the agreement.

A First for the Global Decidim Community

The Swiss Local Chapter is not just a milestone for Switzerland. It is the first Local Chapter ever created within the global Decidim ecosystem.

Local Chapters are regional branches of the international Decidim community. They exist to facilitate exchange, boost resources and expertise, and give regional actors a stronger, more coordinated voice within the broader Decidim project. For years, Switzerland has been home to a growing number of Decidim deployments and active contributors.

Participants of the event gathered for introductions and a roundtable that set an immediately collaborative tone. Nil Homedes and Pauline Bessoles, representatives from the Decidim Free Software Association, joined the occasion to deliver an official welcome address.

After a presentation tracing how the Swiss Local Chapter came to be, the room moved into group brainstorming. Participants shaped the chapter's structure and future direction together, in true Decidim spirit: openly, collectively, and with genuine investment in the outcome.

Representatives from the state of Geneva, the city of Lausanne, the city of Neuchâtel, the city of Winterthur and the city of Zürich were present at the event.

The Internationalisation Model

Decidim’s internationalisation model is therefore based on the principles of decentralisation and trust. Rather than centralising Decidim’s representation within a single entity, Decidim can now be represented by local communities committed to the project’s values and vision on open source and democracy.  In this way, we aim to create a network of trust with stakeholders who can act as a bridge between the local and global communities, facilitating interaction between these two spheres.

All of this demonstrates the growth and maturation of the Decidim community, which is establishing itself as a leading global network in the field of participation and digital commons. 

We encourage local Decidim communities around the world to consider setting themselves up as a Local Chapter. If you would like more information on how to start the process, please consult the internal regulations on internationalisation or contact hola@decidim.org