| From: | "Jim Powell" <autoinfo(at)acenet.co.za> |
|---|---|
| Date: | Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:40:42 +0200 |
| Subject: | RE: [WDDM] Phoenix Project |
|
Hi All, Interesting option of DD The problem I see with this system is that it will be more populist in nature and less stable. I still am in favour of a simple majority vote (constitution excluded) on any matter. There is then no filtering of the wish of the individual. Regards Jim Powell From: Democracy By The
People [democracybythepeople(at)gmail.com] Hi Mirek, Thanks for this! I would like more information if you have it as to whether the constitutional assembly currently drafting the new constitution in Ecuador will create a constitutional framework for participatory democracy as was done in Venezuela and attempted recently in Nicaragua... In Venezuela people power is enshrined in the constitution and manifested primarily in the form of communal councils... grassroots governing bodies... in Nicaragua this did not make it into the constitution but Ortega has instituted a similar program regardless... In Cuba there is a similar system but it has been highly criticized for alleged exclusion of non-revolutionary patrty members. I have no personal experience with that, but I can say from personal experience that in Venezuela this process is democracy at it's finest and is acheiving amazing results in terms of empowerment and levels of participation of the people in their governance. Venezuela is by far the greatest laboratory for participatory democracy around today. In Venezuela's ally Bolivia there are apparently no plans as of yet to include a similar program in the constitution that is being drafted, but Bolivia has a long history of grassroots activists groups being a powerful force for shaping policy... perhaps in the future this political force will be institutionalized if Evo's reforms are carried through... So I am wondering if you have any information about Ecuador and whether there are plans to include a structure for participatory democracy within the new constitution... creating a similar system of communal councils and the like... Let me know what you might find out.. Thanks and safe travels, Matt - DBTP On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 11:30 AM, <wddm(at)mkolar.org> wrote: Dear all, I am writing from Equador from this Phoenix Gathering: A lot a new interesting information here! A preview: Among others: Equador seems to be at the fore-front of building participative democracy from the grass-root level. They have a constitutional assembly preparting new participative constitution. It was reported that a variation of the troika system proposed by fred (http://www.world-wide-democracy.net/forum/read.php?23,541,549#msg-549) has actually been implemented in Cuba for some time and is working well. Instead of a group of three people, the basic group consists of about 7 to 12 families who select one representative to a higher (block) level. It takes about 7 levels to get to the national assembly. They reportedly also have the following recall system: if a family decides not to support a representative they elected from their basic group, it is recalled from whatever higher level he/she was promoeted, and somebody else has to be chosen in his place. Equador is said to be in the process of implementing a very similar system. The Phoenix project site (http://www.wakingthephoenix.org) is planned to be filled with a lot of information we heard diring this meeting and soem final document, and perhaps proposed actions. So check it out in the near future.
|