[EM] Conceiving a Democratic Electoral Process

[Michael Allan]

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