Re: [ba-unrev-talk] [Fwd: World Wide Democracy Network Newsletter 02]
Eric. (01)
Although seemingly somewhat different than what Doug has in mind, it does
have a bit of a NIC aspect to it as well, hasn't it? (02)
Henry (03)
Eric Armstrong wrote: (04)
> Fascinating concept. If we had a project, I'd rate this a high
> priority, if only to gather use cases, motivation, and an
> eventual testing ground for the project.
>
> Henry K van Eyken wrote:
>
> > I wonder what this forum thinks about associating - and in what manner
> > -ourselves (i.e. Bootstrap AND/OR Fleabyte) with the newly formed,
> > London-based organization that calls itself the World Wide Democracy
> > Network,
> >
> > www.wwdemocracy.org
> >
> > On first sight, the organization appears to be non-partisan -
> > otherwise
> > I wouldn't even consider bringing this up. I do believe it a good
> > thing
> > for small, grassroot organizations to team up.
> >
> > How well are the principals of this organization known in the U.K. and
> > internationally, etc.
> >
> > You may be interested that from the Fleabyte end we are in touch with
> > an
> > organization called Global Agoras,
> >
> > http://www.globalagoras.org/
> >
> > The development is slow here because of "understaffing." Might some
> > people on this forum be interested in forming a committee to look at
> > the
> > issue of locating, evaluating and co-operating with like-minded
> > organizations in a way that they become complementary. Etc.
> >
> > Henry
> >
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Subject: World Wide Democracy Network Newsletter 02
> > Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 20:12:06 +0100
> > From: John Turnbull <jt@wwdemocracy.org>
> > To: undisclosed-recipients:;
> > WORLD WIDE DEMOCRACY NETWORK NEWSLETTER No. 2, SUMMER 2003
> >
> >
> > WELCOME!
> >
> >
> > CONTENTS
> >
> > 1. Introduction
> > 2. WWDN news
> > 3. Getting the WWDN up and running
> > 4. WWDN?s WSF 2003 Proposal: a summary of the WWDN?s proposal to run
> > a series of workshops (entitled ?Liberating Democratic Systems?)
> > at the next World Social Forum (Porto Alegre, Brazil, January
> > 2003).
> >
> >
> > 1. INTRODUCTION
> >
> > The World Wide Democracy Network (WWDN, www.wwdemocracy.org ) has been
> > set up to link people in a process of mutual learning.
> >
> > Many recognise that we are facing a set of complex and urgent global
> > problems, such as widespread inequality, environmental degradation and
> > societal breakdown. Such problems cannot be solved within the existing
> > ?democratic? regimes because their design has evolved to achieve a
> > totally different purpose - that of unsustainable economic growth
> > coupled with high levels of inequality. It follows that we need to
> > rethink our ideas of democracy and citizenship; if we are to build a
> > just and sustainable future, we need a new paradigm of democracy.
> >
> > To borrow from Abraham Lincoln, we need to advance from what we
> > currently have:
> >
> > Government
> > OF - the people
> > BY - interchangeable sets of political professionals
> > FOR - the pursuit of economic growth through transnational
> > corporate capitalism
> >
> > To:
> >
> > Government
> > OF - the people
> > BY - thinking, acting and learning together
> > FOR - the co-creation of just and sustainable societies
> >
> > Through the WWDN we will explore how to apply to political processes
> > the insights of soft-systems thinking and complexity theory developed
> > in other fields. These are of fundamental significance in bringing
> > about change. It is these insights that teach us that our task is
> > essentially one of mutual learning.
> >
> > For more information on the history and purpose of the WWDN, please
> > see WWDN Newsletter No1, March 2002 .
> >
> > To become a WWDN Co-learner and take part in our online discussions
> > (available soon) please contact us here , remembering to include your
> > name in the body of the message. (Other details, such as address,
> > occupation etc. would be welcome, but are not essential.)
> > Alternatively, visit our website at www.wwdemocracy.org
> >
> >
> > 2. WWDN NEWS
> >
> > Co-learners
> > 55 people have signed up to become WWDN co-learners. The WWDN?s main
> > aim in 2002 is to establish contacts with people and organisations
> > interested in developing viable strategies for political change at all
> > levels from local to global. If you would like to join us please press
> > ?reply? (making sure not to reply to all) and type ?co-learner? in the
> > subject line, or visit our website at www.wwdemocracy.org .
> >
> > Network Associate
> > John Turnbull has been appointed Network Associate for the WWDN.
> > Formerly a researcher with a firm of management consultants, John will
> > be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the network,
> > including managing the contacts database, moderating the discussion
> > forum and editing the quarterly newsletter.
> >
> >
> > 3. GETTING THE WWDN UP AND RUNNING
> >
> > We have spent the last couple of months thinking about how we want the
> > Network to function, acting on advice about software and technical
> > issues, and learning what works for us and what doesn't. So far, we
> > have a new design for the website, and soon we will be unveiling the
> > WWDN discussion forum. We will also be migrating to the Linux
> > operating system, one of the inspirations for the WWDN?s open-source
> > approach.
> >
> > The response to our request for participants has been very
> > encouraging. Our 55 co-learners are from a wide range of backgrounds,
> > including economics, systems thinking and consultancy. However, this
> > kind of background is by no means a requirement - the WWDN is open to
> > anybody who is interested in developing viable strategies for
> > political change and working towards a more just and sustainable
> > future. (See above for instructions on registering).
> >
> > Our intention is to make the WWDN accessible to as many people as we
> > can. This means publishing our site and our newsletters in as many
> > languages as possible. If anybody is interested in undertaking
> > translation work (on a voluntary basis), I would be very keen to hear
> > from you.
> >
> > John Turnbull (jt@wwdemocracy.org )
> >
> >
> > 4. A PROPOSAL FOR A 3-DAY PROGRAMME FOR THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM -
> > ?LIBERATING DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS?
> >
> > This is a summary of the proposal for a programme of events we are
> > hoping to have considered for the next World Social Forum. The
> > proposal is very ambitious and there is no guarantee that it will be
> > accepted in full; however, it gives a good indication of the direction
> > the WWDN is taking.
> >
> > Summary
> >
> > In his closing words to the second World Social Forum (WSF), held in
> > Porto Alegre, Brazil in February 2002, the Nobel prize-winning poet
> > Jose Saramago issued a challenge:
> >
> > "Everything in this world is discussed, from literature to ecology,
> > from expanding galaxies to the greenhouse effect, from waste treatment
> > to traffic congestion. Yet the democratic system goes undiscussed, as
> > if it were a given, definitively acquired and untouchable by nature
> > until the end of time.
> >
> > "Well, unless I am mistaken ... among so many other necessary or
> > indispensable discussions, there is an urgent need to foster worldwide
> > debate on democracy and the causes of its decline?"
> >
> > The main blockages to radical change, he implied, stem from the
> > in-built systemic defects of our so-called democratic systems.
> >
> > WWDN proposes that the third WSF, to be held again in Porto Alegre in
> > January 2003, responds to Saramago?s challenge through a programme of
> > co-learning designed to enable the participants to explore and define:
> >
> > * precisely why it is that the current systems of democracy are
> > defective - what is wrong with their design and purposes; and
> > * what are the essential components of an alternative democratic
> > system capable of meeting the needs of human societies and of the
> > whole human family in the 21st Century? What, for example, is the
> > nature of the relationship between democratic leadership and
> > people power? And how, in practical terms, can such democracies
> > be created?
> >
> > On the basis of a shared understanding on these and related issues,
> > WSF 2003 could launch a global dialogue with two interlocking
> > dimensions: a theoretical dimension concerned with the development of
> > coherent models of alternative systems of democracy; and a practical
> > dimension based on the experience of the Participative Budget
> > processes in over 100 cities in Brazil and South America, and
> > especially in the city of Porto Alegre itself.
> >
> > To sum up: the intended outcome of the programme is to respond to Jose
> > Saramago's challenge by initiating a purposeful global dialogue aimed
> > at increasing our shared understanding of what needs to be done to
> > remedy the systemic defects of today's democracies.
> >
> > "Democracy and democratic education are founded on faith in men, on
> > the belief that they not only can, but should, discuss the problems of
> > their country, their continent, their world, their work, the problems
> > of democracy itself."
> > (Paulo Freire, formerly Director of Education for the city of Sao
> > Paulo, Brazil, Education: the Practice of Freedom Writers and Readers
> > Co-operative1974.)
> >
> > To read the complete proposal, please visit www.wwdemocracy.org (the
> > '2002 Programme' section).
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > We are sending you this edition of the WWDN newsletter either because
> > you have had contact with the WWDN in the past, or because we believe
> > you would be interested in the WWDN's work.
> >
> > If you wish to be removed from the WWDN mailing list, please reply to
> > this message with 'STOP' in the subject field.
> >
> > We apologise if you have received multiple copies of this newsletter.
> > Please let us know if this happens.
> > (05)