Citizens’ assemblies are an innovative form of public engagement where randomly selected everyday people are tasked with learning, deliberating and generating recommendations on a specific issue. These forums are often celebrated for giving voice to those frequently excluded from political conversations but have also been criticised for reproducing inequalities. This article contributes to this debate by exploring how vulnerabilities are experienced within this form of democratic innovation. Applying Grounded Normative Theory (GNT) and drawing inspiration from Judith Butler's work, we identify three forms of vulnerability in these settings – participatory, epistemic and discursive – and demonstrate how vulnerabilities are dynamic and contextual experiences, rather than static, fixed conditions. This finding aims to inform process designers and authorities commissioning these processes, helping them address participants’ needs and overcome barriers to inclusion. We make a case for rethinking vulnerability beyond fixed categories and utilise the tools of GNT to create more equitable and responsive processes for diverse lived experiences. We demonstrate this argument through the case of the world's first global citizens’ assembly focusing on the climate and ecological crisis.
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