Reply to Filia from Ted

["Ted Becker" <becketl(at)auburn.edu>]

Hi.

My, my.  Trouble amongst the DD folks in the Netherlands.  Seems to be endemic.  Did you know about the TWO!!! DD conferences going
simulataneously !!!in Athens?  Oh well.

Anyway, sure, I'll be glad to edit it for you...into American....We don't speak English here.  It's much too elegant.

As for asking Arjen to open up to collaboration with you, let me tell you that I'm a professional mediator.....so my role would be to ask
him for you...as an intermediary.  But before I could do that, you'd have to tell me something that would appeal to him.  It appears to me
from what you wrote that there is...a problem?....a dispute?.....disagreement?......what?  And what would you/us offer him to join with us?

Actually, I think that we might consider first asking Mehr Demokratie to join with us....isn't Franz Isemann one of us?  He was at Athens
and wanted to host the Third CCIDD....but couldn't convince the M.D. board.  However, they might be open to joining our virtual CCIDD, or
WWWDDDMMMM (pick onr or two of any and form your own acronym.)  And if they came on board personally and/or officially...then perhaps it
would be attractive to some of the Dutch groups....particularly Arjen.  Also, Bruno Kauffmann.  He never came to any of our
Congresses......but is sympathetic.  And how about Andreas Gross?

I'm not sure if George and Jiri are reading this, but if not, why not forward this idea to them....and maybe Jiri, George and I can invite
MD, IRI Europe, and Andi's Eurotopia to join in as well.  All these folks have been associated with us to some degree or another....and
just couldn't make the trip....but are in synch.  I think they would be excellent additions if they would be willing.  Thus, we would be
beginning a collaborative network that hasn't happened before.

Ted.
=================
> > > fkdh(at)xs4all.nl 04/20/05 5:12 PM >>>
Dear Ted and all,

You know what - Saturday (keep my fingers crossed ;-) I will send out all
the material I have, for both the WDDM and the WDDF, including my unedited
and bumpy-English texts on Amsterdams Initiatief. I had prepared quite
detailed information about Amsterdams Initiatief, originally meant to be
published by Newropeans and/or Europe 2020 (organizations/thinktanks on
democracy issues by Franck Biancheri and Marie-Hélène Caillol). I never came
around to actually finish them and deliver them and I still feel embarrassed
about it. Ted, would you be willing to give me a hand - if I send the
Amsterdams Initiatief texts to you on Friday, would you be willing to turn
them in your best English ???

As for the Dutch situation... Yes, perhaps the Dutch situation is like a
reasonably well functioning car and I am complaining about its bumper...
(But no, things are really going downwards here. We "adapt" to the European
standard because the EU adapting to our standard is considered "too
expensive".)

One other thing - it would be useful if people from the outside could urge /
invite Arjen Nijeboer and Co to open up to collaboration with me (things
went wrong in the past because we had to grow psychologically into mature DD
activists). Not in terms of “help” or “personal favors” but in terms of
other DD community members who in general speak up that we should work
together -or at least keep each other informed- and that this would benefit
the DD community as a whole. (DD = direct democrcay)
Arjen Nijeboer <arjen.nijeboer(at)referendumplatform.nl>
Arjen Nijeboer <arjen(at)arjennijeboer.nl>
Tel. Mobile +31 (0)6 524 50 279
Tel. Agora Europe  +31 (0)20 638 05 58
Fax Agora Europe +31 (0)20 420 77 59
Address Agora Europe (Agora Europe is a Dutch government funded organization
to investigate and assist participative projects. Its president is Eisse
Kalk, member of Referendum Platform and its former president was Niesco
Dubbelboer, also member of Referendum Platform and currently member of
Parliament for the PvdA. Arjen works there and all “institution mail”, to
Referendum Platform, Initiative & Referendum Institute Europe (Bruno
Kaufmann’s club), and, European Referendum Campaign Netherlands, is sent to
this address):
Entrepotdok 19-A
1018 AD Amsterdam
The Netherlands

I’m saying this, because Anthony Coughlan and Leopoldo Salgui reminded me/us
today that we shouldn’t fall asleep regarding the referendums in France and
in the Netherlands. We should take care that we prevent ourselves from the
DD debacle as we had with the Spanish referendum. Meaning: we should start
preparing ourselves for coordinated action.


Regards to all,
Filia




op 20-04-2005 16:12 schreef Ted Becker op becketl(at)auburn.edu:

> At last.  Some real info about what folks are DOING about DD somewhere.
> Thanks Filia for filling me in.  I was wondering what was going on with
> DD in The Netherlands...one of the most enlightened countries in the
> world (don't deny it).....
>
> First, thrill to the fact that you live in a [...]