It is about reflecting on better democracy, one that really enables people to influence and change things – how their schools work, when their local surgery is available, the local environment or jobs and the economy for instance. We have a long way to go to match the massive success of democratised businesses like Mondragon or banks like the German ones that didn’t get broken by the banking crisis or participative budgeting in public services like Porto Allegre in Brazil. Most of how we live is local yet most of the democracy we experience is dominated by national issues and national leaders.
Participative democracy is about informed users deciding how local services work and it is a step along from the occasional choosers we are moulded into being. A new facilitative public management is required to help this happen.
Democracy involves people in their collective concerns. Lets all aim for better, local, participative democracy that complements representative democracy and makes it better.
Please click on to the links above for articles and resources on these topics.
Happy democracy day!