Citizens’ initiatives are essential for the defence of rights and freedoms, as they are for the development of the democratic ideal. A series of recent experiences bears witness to the number of prohibitions and obstacles that tend to dissuade and even suppress citizen involvement. In order to remind us of the conflicting nature of politics, democracy, and therefore of participation, actors from the world of politics and citizens’ collectives will meet in a ‘ring’ to compare their practices, address ‘upsetting questions’ and in doing so, mutually fuel reflections on the future of our democracy.