ADELS (Association pour la démocratie et l’éducation locale et sociale) was a Paris-based organization, set up in 1960, whose work was aimed at encouraging political participation and civic engagement beyond the ballot box at the subcentral level of government in France. To achieve this goal, ADELS organized workshops, seminars, and conferences (including the annual "Rencontres de la démocratie locale") on topics such as deliberative democracy, participatory democracy, and the role these can play in reinvigorating democracy and achieving sustainable development at the local level. ADELS also published a monthly magazine, called "Territoires," which examined developments in participatory democracy, among other things, at the local level in France and abroad. Through its local democracy observatory ("l'observatoire de la démocratie locale"), ADELS also maintained a list of participatory and deliberative initiatives undertaken by local governments in France aimed at involving citizens, community representatives, and organized interests in political decision making.
For economic reasons, Adels closed definitly on 2012.
