Damn - I was writing a 'wise' message and now, thanks to my providor
xs4all, it's gone !
I think it's not that much of a problem if WDDM ceases to exist. I observe
similar problems in other DD organisations, such as IRI-Europe, Democracy
International, Referendum Platform, Mehr Demokratie. We (us direct
democrats, that is) realise in one way or another that bureaucratic,
centralised structures do not fit our DD needs. Yet we also need to
acknowledge and support those DD's (such as Mirek Kolar in the WDDM case)
who do put a lot of energy and effort in a DD initiative.
So we have - I would say: as a dd MOVEMENT - to contemplate on models
which actually do fit. If there aren't any models at hand (would the
structure behind Wikipedia be worth a study? Or, how did Errico Malatesta
and his friends address the issue?), then we have to invent one. Failure
also means next time we do it better !
Somehow - if you allow me to brainstorm somewhat and be unspecific - we
have to figure out the boundaries between 'initiative' (put an idea into
the world) and 'power' (those who gather around that idea and want to make
it work).
I thank Antio Rossin for his financial support to WDDM and Bruce Eggum for
his efforts to address the needs of those who carry a lot of weight
(Mirek, and, in the case of "Everyone's A citizen, Baby - A People's EU
Constitution", myself).
I also thank xs4all for having interfered in my lengthy email. Now I stick
to this shorter version !
With kind regards to all (I've added some people to the cc list),
Filia den Hollander