We hold this debate with the help of the consensus algorithm WINWIN, who will moderate the conversation between Dutch politicians Ellen Bijsterbosch (D66), Andre van Schie (VVD), Anne Sasbrink (PvdD) and Jelle de Graaf (Extinction Rebellion). Will they be able to find a ‘common ground’?

WINWIN is a discussion and participatory performance developed by Nienke Huitenga and James Bryan Graves: an immersive performative experience guided by an algorithm. We invited a group of politicians to engage in a debate on the climate crisis by way of a number of statements. The algorithm safeguards radical equality to discover where consensus is hidden amongst the differing opinions. We want WINWIN to be a new ritual for democracy, uncovering underlying statements, ideas, perspectives in a debate. Algorithms have a bad name, and while they are often responsible for polarisation and divisions, they can also strengthen the positive side of human nature. WINWIN is inspired by flat hierarchical social organisational structures like Occupy Wallstreet, holacracy and sociocracy, anarchist philosophy, the squatting movement, digital algorithms like paxos and the Dutch polder model.