Welcome to Sharp Talk. This is Paul Adamson and I'm in conversation with Alberto Alamano.

Alberto Alamano is a professor of European law at the Aschuset Paris and global professor of law at the New York University School of Law.

He's also the co-founder and director

of the good lobby, which I'm sure he will talk to us about in more detail, join the course

of this podcast. Alberto, you have a new book out called Lobbying for Change. The title is very

intriguing. You make the case for something called Citizens Lobbying. So what is citizens lobbying?

Citizen lobbying is about citizens picking up a cause they deeply care about. It might be LGBT rights or

animal welfare or environmental protection and then rely on the repertoire that usually corporate

lobbyists and lawyers and other professionals rely upon when they engage into the policy process.

So in short, citizen lobbying is lobbying by citizens for citizens.

Well, you make the point that now is a good time for citizens to get active.

One thing I'm quite intrigued about is you seem very idealistic.

You seem to assume that people want to get involved in representing their interests more

alongside their elected representatives. What makes you think that there's an appetite for getting

involved in that way? The book builds upon the experience I gather over the last few years

in engaging a new generation of citizens who realize how educated and privileged it is and he wants

to somehow give back. So there's a real purpose-seeking journey. Citizens, and particularly

young people are about to embark on on and therefore this desire has to be

captured and channel into what makes a difference for their life which is the policy process so if we

manage to beautify government if you manage to beautify the politics that actually determine the

quality of the air we breathe for the safety of the food we eat, well,

it's going to be much better for society to have an active electoral body instead of having

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