Australia's civic participation is declining, according to current measurement tools. Yet across our lives we are active in different ways and at different points. This report summarises a recent forum, held 4-8 December 2025, to test the practical value of a civic life journey framework, looking at how policies, specifically those seeking to strengthen social cohesion and democratic resilience, could approach civic life from a life course perspective. 

Programs and democratic processes exist to enable civic participation, but they are often siloed or narrowly focused on specific activities at specific points of time in a person’s life. The report explores a potential shift in how we design and build engagement across our life course: moving from a patchwork of disconnected points of engagement to a coordinated tapestry that provides access to meaningful participation opportunities at all ages.

The paper describes what we currently know and what we need to know about Australians’ civic life journeys, from civic education in schools to major life transition points, to how we engage once we stop working. The forum brought together researchers, data specialists and policy practitioners to map available data, identify gaps and generate priority directions for what comes next.