direct participation in direct democracy

once here, it stays

– throughout society

 

direct participation in direct democracy

•  is competent, constructive and cooperative
•  part of living society
•  with everyone taking part in all things in common
(1, 2 and 3) •  once here, it stays – here below three examples

(example 1) INITIATIVES & REFERENDA (I&R) – are the oldest 'twins' of direct participation, basic processes of direct democracy. Initiatives bring issues into politics, people bring them in by peoples' initiatives. In mandatory referenda (peoples' referenda) people decide on them, as well as on other issues brought in, or decided upon (including laws) by the representatives (in mandatory or facultative referenda).

In developed, direct democracies they are binding, direct inputs into other processes and guaranteed by citizens' full political rights. Like in today's 'democracy lab' of Switzerland – each third month, the voting envelopes come in – calling each citizen to decide on matters of the commune (city), canton, confederation and international ones.

Full citizens' political rights, our forebears fought for, step by step – The first Swiss federal constitution of 1848 wrote down the right to the mandatory referendum, in 1874 added the facultative referendum, in 1891 the popular initiative. Yet, on the federal level, for men only – until 1971, when women’s rights came through the referendum at last (in 1990, the little canton Appenzell Innerrhoden has been forced to join in on the cantonal level).

(example 2) ALL ALREADY IN – In 2020, in my home country (the 'democracy lab' of Switzerland), some politicians, inspired by talks with colleagues, politicians abroad (and by a head of a neighbour state), proposed to introduce 'citizens' assemblies'/'conventions'. The reaction to this proposal of another representative body which would outsource, enclose and extremely restrict the broad, lively discussion throughout the whole society:2

– We all are Citizens' Assembly! –
– We all are Citizens' Convention! –

What to do?
← assess &
← develop Note – So called 'CITIZENS' ASSEMBLIES', 'conventions', 'panels', etc.1 have nothing to do with real, full, direct participation, as only tiny groups of a few selected ones may, and moreover once in their life only, discuss – while, in fact, all the people are left outside.

(example 3) CITIZENS' CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION – as we (propose to) name the ongoing processes, formal, informal, open to everyone and everything, including writing and amending constitutions, intertwined with all processes of direct democracy.3

Here's a call for FULL POLITICAL RIGTHS FOR ALL (from a simple citizen's view:) to all actually, really free citizens of Europe to demand their political rights as sovereigns.4 Also to co-write their basic common rules, their constitution(s), e.g. the EUropean one, to participate in decisions on it. And thus to share responsibility for it, same as for all things in common.5

 

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1 in political life of representative democracies such bodies may appear under these and other names (e.g. 'Citizen' Juries' of the '70ies), not really meaning or being citizens' direct participation, in the understanding that 'participation' means an 'indirect' one (similar note on previous page) · · · key words & theory  ▲
1 to asses, compare to which extent specific processes are directly participative (or not, not yet), we propose our tools · · · tools  ▲

2 broad, lively discussions in the whole (interested) society – one of the 'building blocks' of direct participation (← assess & develop · 9 'building blocks')

3 direct democracy – developed representative democracy · · · key words & theory  ▲
3 e.g. in the 'democracy lab' of Switzerland – or, to an extent, in some other countries, like some US states or lands of Germany (similar note on previous page)

4 as in developed democracies, like e.g. political rights ↗︎ in the 'democracy lab' of Switzerland

5 responsibility in representative systems – it's the people who bear full responsibility for all the consequences of their representatives' actions, without any participation whatsoever in them...

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↗︎ web search with google.ch

 

 

 

 

– currently working on the concept – building up the team –