The values of real democracy

Via:

From The Campaign for Real Democracy / Project 2012 which has set out the following principles:

VALUES:

Equality – each person is able to speak and be listened to – there is no elite platform

Difference – we learn from each other’s perspectives; we may disagree, but we listen to one another respectfully and our views become refined through the experience

Solidarity – we are together because we believe in the existence of a common agenda. In spite of our differences, we pursue and find consensus over ideas and shared actions

Sharing – we believe in a society in which sharing and co-operation triumph over competition. We freely share food and other gifts at our meetings

Secularity and Spirituality – we respect and are happy to learn from different belief systems

Ecology – we believe in a new, really democratic society with a very low/zero carbon footprint

Self-determination – we struggle for a new kind of freedom based on community, nurturing, true individuality, and vice versa – “It takes a village to bring up a child”

DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES:

(1) Peoples Assemblies make decisions horizontally

(2) Peoples Assemblies are interested to learn about, try out and embody new democratic practices

CORE AIMS:

(1) Real Democracy – PAs should find ways to campaign for a really ecological, democratic society at local, national and global levels

(2) Decentralisation – to bring this about, sovereignty should be vested at the neighbourhood / community / workplace / study place level

(3) Internationalism – PA communities link up in solidarity and support across the world

(4) Ideals – we are interested to bring about a world based on a Reclaimation of the Commons, Truth, Peace, Sustainability, Justice and Compassion above all things and we are willing to fight non-violently to this end

(5) Peoples Assembly movement – to bring these aims about we are calling for a movement based on the idea of Peoples Assemblies

IDEOLOGY:

(1) local, democratic not private or state led provision of public services (the real third way)

(2) really democratic, people powered globalisation, not capitalist or state-led (the real third “world”, or international) as a means in its end, but also a way of forcing the nation states to work together for the good of all

(3) a new appropriate political economy to match

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