[EM] Conceiving a Democratic Electoral Process
Michael Allan
mike at zelea.com
Sun Aug 12 03:43:44 PDT 2012
Hi Fred,
Let's sum up. You propose an electoral process to correct the evils
of party politics. You hope that people somewhere will give it a try.
However, if they do, you cannot foresee any sequence of events by
which the promised benefits could be realized. Is that correct?
> I'm not sure what kind of elaboration you seek. All communities are
> different in the sense that the spark that initiates changes in one
> can be completely different from the spark that starts a flame in
> another. ...
I'm looking for a way (any sequence of events) by which the proposed
process could *possibly* deliver on its promised benefits. I have no
doubt such a way exists, but I ask you to place it on the table (1, 2,
3) so we can all examine it.
--
Michael Allan
Toronto, +1 416-699-9528
http://zelea.com/
Fred Gohlke said:
> Good Morning, Michael
>
> re: "Could you elaborate here? I want to look at problems of
> feasibility. By what sequence of events (again 1, 2, 3)
> might the community transit from the status quo to that
> better future, as you envision it?"
>
> I'm not sure what kind of elaboration you seek. All communities are
> different in the sense that the spark that initiates changes in one can
> be completely different from the spark that starts a flame in another.
> Perhaps it would help to mention a specific instance:
>
> A small community outside the United States with terrible living
> conditions, a community that was victimized with kidnapping and mass
> killings during a recent civil war, wants to find a new way to select
> their local officials.
>
> I've been asked, on behalf of the pastor of the community church, to
> discuss Practical Democracy ...
>
> http://participedia.net/methods/practical-democracy
>
> ... because it offers a rational way to identify the people best suited
> to work out local problems. The pastor is a person who wants the best
> for his people but has no personal political ambition. He is concerned
> that the community (indeed, the entire area) has a very long history of
> male dominance. Although women have political rights formally, it is
> difficult for them to influence community action because there are
> enough reactionaries to thwart their best efforts.
>
> Practical Democracy, if adopted, lets women form a feminist party that
> functions in parallel with any other groups in the village. This
> ensures that the most resourceful women are not excluded by
> thoughtlessness at the initial level(s) of the electoral process and are
> integrated with the decision makers at the upper levels. This is one of
> the reasons the pastor may encourage the community to adopt the
> Practical Democracy concept. If they do so and it succeeds, other
> communities in the area with similar problems are likely to adopt it, as
> well.
>
> Is that any help?
>
> Fred
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