Learning from varied experiences: a wealth of proposals and ideas
Participants got together in small groups during the breakout session of Assemblies: the way forward (2 October 2024). Here are notes garnered in response to three questions:
Question 1: What could be the purpose of bringing together different groups and organisations? What would be the common areas to share and strategise around and draw strength?
- Share experience, expertise, best practices.
- Emergency planning and community response to emergencies.
- Spending priorities – combining with Participatory Budgeting?
- Citizens’ assemblies take a while to organise but are more diverse and inclusive than popular assemblies. Popular assemblies can be rapidly deployed to generate interest and political expression around issues. While the former can be anti-polarising, the latter tends to be more polarising. The two are complementary.
- Building relationships and communities
- thealternativeglobal.org.uk (Indra Adnan) online forum re Citizen Action Network (CAN)
- Zhakar Popovych from Kviv spoke of the need to transform from discussions some sort of organisation. This is not a new challenge (XR etc)
- Idea of dual power, as John McDonnell said, the state is there but need to develop our own capacities to create impetus for transformation
- We’re in the middle of a big global movement undertaking things like CAs, and we want to join them together
- Need to think about at we’re trying to fix: building power in communities etc?
- Some processes generate solidarity some don’t. We have a lot to learn from the last 30 or 40 years
- To support each other and create solidarity. We need to recognise the threat from the far right, and that it is also drawing on disillusionment. Recognise we are in a crucial moment. It’s the system itself that is the problem rather than individuals.
Questions 2 and 3: What would this kind of network look like? What kinds of organising platforms and internal organising structures would be the most effective? What are possible barriers to overcome?
- Sortition Foundation – James Robertson is crucial in helping us answer questions 2 &3.
- Lots of organisations gathering on similar themes – guidelines, frameworks (see resources available through DemNext, OECD) – need to try to avoid reinventing the wheel. We are never starting from a blank slate!
- Need to organise for practical local solutions (possibly via assemblies and other ways) to help people see how this way of doing things could change politics – and hence be more likely to get engaged
- Mobilisation needs demand. Can’t talk about process because that’s boring. We focus on replacing the House of Lords to give us an enemy to rally around.
- People don’t know what ‘sortition’ is – it’s all complex and takes a long time to explain. Other terms not in everyday vocabulary: deliberation, collective intelligence, epistemic growth, citizens assembly vs jury vs people’s assembly
- What would the core themes, purposes be: education, mobilisation / engagement, education on the processes, knowledge gains – and knowing what you don’t know, people learn a lot from the process and one another.
- Building collective power: networking, coalition forming, having a similar analysis of power and how it works,
- There’s a broader movement about demanding participatory democracy that isn’t just assemblies – much wider – and a mistake to exclude them. E.g. listening campaigns, civic tech, PB – lots of participatory tools
- The local level is crucial and isn’t (so far) sortition based. There’s lots of groups sprouting up and expanding in different directions – assemblies can be helpful, but that critical groundwork to establish the ecosystem.
- Civic participation and information gathering. The example of the abortion assembly in the Republic of Ireland is a good one. There were lots of hardline positions but consensus was reached and acted on.
- There could be local as well as national assemblies including even the House of Lords which is ripe for reform.
- Groups that represent people affected by large issues (alcohol, drugs etc) have a lot of the answers but struggle to voice them and be heard. Groups like this are good examples of how group participation could be the connective tissue between people.
- Trade union groups or those in groups representing those who aren’t in full employment are examples of people using the power of assembly to unite people and help people find their voice on a range of national and international issues. Government seems to operate oblivious to people’s concerns. “Trickle down power” doesn’t work (the same as for money). Scottish referendum brought people together in groups as well.
- Is the common idea of group participation itselfthe thread to pull on to join disparate causes and motivations towards the power of assembly? People who participate (in any group) get used to the idea of using their voice, see that consensus is possible and know that group decisions can deliver progressive action.
- Assembly co-ordinator of Assemble, replace House of Lords, need to cooperate, talking shop criticism, meeting your community, however, need to be organised to be represented nationally what are the minimum asks / priorities
- Purpose of Assembly: broadening of the purpose, of existing democratic practices.
- Climate change, how do you get control over what corporations might do?
- One of the tasks is the commitment to assemblies. We need to reach people who can give up 2 evenings a month. People who are struggling, with new job, kids etc.
- We need to make sure the activities are engaging. Not about sitting in rows. Rehearsing for change. Lot of institutions managed by people who want to hold on to power. Assemblies need to be vibrant, active, fun.
- People view politics as a commercial activity. Don’t see themselves as players. Give people agency that things can change.
- Not that people not interested or don’t care. People are dismissed, patronised by councillors etc. Where are the young people. The excitement?
- A network could help share information, what works. Good examples around.