International summits are not known for ‘public consultation’ but the forth-coming Madrid summit is different. 11 March will see the one-year anniversary of the Madrid bombings, with over a million people expected to march on Atocha railway station in commemoration. For three days prior, Madrid will play host to ‘The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security’. For the first time, those involved in the summit will be getting clear input from the public, via the web.

As part of the public debates, openDemocracy.net is encouraging the public to hold their own meetings on 11 March with friends and family. They are being encouraged to post the conclusions of these meetings on the safe-democracy.org website, hosted by Club De Madrid and openDemocracy.net. The conclusions of the public debates will be incorperated into the summit report.

The forums are already well underway, and with so many viewpoints being aired, are deeply involving reading.