ACTionism x Pol.is: Can We Build Better Conversations About Change?

What happens when you take a machine learning-powered democracy tool, strip away the anonymity, and bring it to life, in a field?

We don’t know but at the ACTionism Weekender, we’re going to find out.

Why?

Because ACTionism isn’t just about what we do, it’s about how we talk about what we do. And more importantly, how we listen, reflect, and grow together as citizens navigating complex challenges.

The Tool: Pol.is

Pol.is is a real-time digital platform that helps large groups of people understand what they collectively think, using their own words. Participants respond to statements and add their own, while the system uses advanced statistics and machine learning to map consensus and division.

Typically, it’s done anonymously online. But we wondered…

What if we brought that conversation into the real world? What if we could embody the disagreement? What if we could practice listening, not just to confirm what we think, but to grow our understanding?

The Experiment: Pol.is in the Field

We’ve launched a live Pol.is poll in the lead-up to the ACTionism Weekender.

The Weekender is more than just a gathering, it’s a co-created, community-powered space where citizens come together to rest, connect, imagine, and build. Set in nature and shaped by the rhythms of shared meals, conversations, and playful workshops, the weekend brings to life the spirit of actionism: hopeful, hands-on, and grounded in joy. From lego play and storytelling to collective imagining and real-time democracy experiments, each activity invites participants not just to observe change, but to practise it.

To help us practise listening, reflecting, and questioning our assumptions with curiosity, we’re running a live Pol.is experiment, starting with this opening statement:

• Is actionism powerful enough to meet the scale of today’s crises, or just a comforting distraction?

Over the next couple of weeks participants will respond to this online poll. From there, the tool identifies the most divisive statements, those that generate thoughtful disagreement.

The Workshop: From Poll to Pathway

At the Weekender, we bring those divisive statements from the poll into physical space.

How it works:

1. We mark a long line on the ground: One end is “Strongly Agree”, the other is “Strongly Disagree”, and the middle is “Not Sure.”
2. We read aloud 10 of the most divisive statements from the poll.
3. Participants position themselves on the line based on where they stand on each statement.
4. From there, we invite two types of dialogue:
   • Small group chats with those around you
   • Or one-on-one conversations with someone who stood in a very different place

This isn’t a debate. There’s no winner. It’s a practice: in listening, reflecting, and challenging your assumptions with curiosity.

Why This Matters

The conversations that change us most aren’t always the loudest ones. They’re often quiet, respectful, embodied, and surprising.

In an age of polarisation and burnout, ACTionism invites us into a different kind of civic space, one built on imagination, joy, and shared possibility. This workshop is part of that invitation.

It’s not just about how we fight for the future. It’s about how we build it together, one thoughtful conversation at a time.

Join the Conversation. No Matter Where You Are

Even if you can’t make it to the ACTionism Weekender in person, you can still be part of this live experiment and have your voice heard. Through the online Pol.is platform, anyone anywhere can respond to the opening statement and seed statements, sharing their thoughts and experiences. This means the conversation isn’t limited to those physically present in the field but extends to a broader community eager to explore what actionism means.

By participating online, you contribute to shaping the divisive and thought-provoking statements that will be brought to life during the weekend’s workshop. Your input will help spark meaningful dialogue, challenge assumptions, and build a collective understanding of how we want to create change, wherever we are.

So whether you’re joining us around the campfire or logging in from your living room, you’re part of this living, breathing democracy experiment.

This is our chance to practice listening, reflecting, and imagining together how actionism can grow beyond words into real-world, shared possibilities.