Citizens’ Assembly pilot launched Sunday, 8th March, was the first day of the Citizens’ Assembly (CA) pilot project. It involved 24 randomly selected participants of very different ages (the youngest is 18, the oldest 83) and from very different backgrounds and cultures getting to know each other and the process. There were also sessions on building skills essential for listening and working together, along with various presentations on water. Topics included the present Auroville water situation, the bioregional perspective, and the need for an overall water vision to be developed for all those working in some way with water in Auroville (around 200 people!). The talks can be accessed at caexplorationauroville.wordpr... This is very much an experiment, which means that the organizers are still learning about what does and doesn’t work in the Auroville context. While the talks were appreciated and the feedback at the end of the day was largely positive, some participants were less enthusiastic about the group building and energizing exercises. The organizing team has discussed how to improve this aspect of the program in future. The next sessions will involve presentations on water from various perspectives and small group discussions around these. On the final day participants will attempt to come up with a water vision for the community, along with practical proposals about how it can be implemented. All the talks will be updated to the website and made available to the whole community. In the light of the coronavirus threat, the organizers have decided to delay the next sessions, planned for 22nd and 29th March, until later in April. At present they are exploring different options with the participants. ~ Citizens’ Assembly Exploration Group