We talk about the evils of democracy. We have not yet tried democracy. Party or “interests” govern us with some fiction of the “consent of the governed” which we say means democracy. We have not even a conception of what democracy means. That conception is yet to be forged out of the crude ore of life.
Mary Parker Follett - Author of The New State (1918)
I don't always publicly say some of the political innovations that I would like to see in the future because, when working with people from different ideologies, I try to keep my biases to myself unless I think it will help bring people together. That is my number one priority. My personal preferences come second.
Sure, when I vote, I am hoping that the outcome that I desire is what moves forward. AND, I understand that I am one among many voices. One thing I learned in the military that still serves me to this day is the awareness that when people are marching together synchronizing our individual paces is how we move forward together. So, even though I may desire that we get to some particular outcome, my highest priority is that we build stable structures that facilitate us showing up, working together from our highest integrity, and setting our future generations to improve upon whatever we have been able to accomplish.
There is an often quoted proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is the spirit from which I determine how I should best show up when trying to make decisions with people from diverse perspectives. But, to shine a little more light on what I mean, consider that you were trying to make a journey with a small child and an octogenarian, while you are in the best shape of your life. Of course, you could go faster without either of them. But, if you have committed to not leave them behind, you must adjust or be an asshole. It’s that simple. It is not compromising. It is not capitulating. It is standing in your first commitment to get to your destination together. This is how I choose to be with people who show up and tell me that they are committed to making decisions together that address our mutual desires to be good stewards of the time we have to be a contribution in this world.
At its highest level, I see a democracy as a reflection of the true will of ALL of the people. This is not to say that we will agree on all if the intricacies. But, we will agree on the process through which we make decisions and respect the outcome as indicative of our expressed and unexpressed desire to create communities that are increasingly capable of supporting out individual and community flourishing. Unfortunately, as Mary Parker indicates in the quote above, the mechanisms that we had in 1918 and endure to today, do not facilitate this level of support.
Why Democracy is Waiting for YOU
We talk about the tragedy of individualism. The individual we do not yet know, for we have no methods to release the powers of the individual. Our particularism—our laissez-faire, our every [person]-for-[their]-own-interests—has little to do with true individualism, that is, with the individual as consciously responsible for the life from which [they] draw [their] breath and to which [they] contributes [their] all.
Mary Parker Follett - Author of The New State (1918)
When I first read these words, I almost leapt out of my chair because for the first time since I left the church and chose to focus my energy on helping people come into conscious awareness of their potential as powerful volitional beings who shape the worlds of themselves and others in every moment, I finally saw someone name the problem I have with the church and every other institution that I have been a part of—“we have no methods to release the powers of the individual.”
Do you know the power that you possess as an individual contributor to this world? Chances are you don’t because you have rarely, if ever, been invited to consider your power. And even if you have some indication of it, most of our examples of so called “powerful people” think that the fullest expression of power is to feel power over, when in fact, the highest expression is “power with”.
Toward this awareness and as an encouragement for you to tap into what is emergent for you, I invite you to imagine that you were put in charge of government reform. YOU HAVE THE POWER. What would you do with it. By way of modeling, here are some things I would personally prefer in no particular order.
In the democracy of the future I want voting rights of every person who served their time in prison restored. More than that, I want people to be able to vote from prison if their crime falls under certain categories. I want the voting age lowered to 16 contingent upon the teenagers participating in an app based civic engagement survey. I want the electoral college abolished. I want voting day to be a holiday. I want term limits on every one in public office not to exceed 10 years unless they were completing someone else’s term. Then, they can be in office up to 12 years. I want term limits of the Supreme Court to 12 years. I want Citizens United abolished. I want people who hold public office to have investment caps. And I want there investment to be held within a retirement plan.
I want Universal Healthcare for all Americans. I want free state college tuition for everyone who wants it. I want municipalities to be repurposed as wellness hubs for their citizenry. I want affordable housing to be a priority nationally. I want there to be treatment centers for people experiencing addiction that take a whole person approach that sets people on a path that extends to rebuilding relationships into the next generation. I want there to be ample public transportation to include small vehicle fleets that enables more people to be able to drive less. I want there to be regenerative food systems that support the planet while ensuring the every person has access to the nutrition they need to maintain an optimal level of health. I want Universal Basic Income so that no American has to live in poverty.
On top of all of this, I want there to be a system of reparations that people can elect to participate in that meets their immediate restorative needs. The process would include appropriate counseling for the applicants in order that they can maintain the restorative capacity that the reparations distribution would afford them. For example, If a person applied for reparations in the form of a financial payment, they would have to take financial counseling to reduce the likelihood of windfall effect, where people who suddenly get a large amount of money quickly return to their original financial baseline.
This is not by any means an exhaustive list. But, these are some of the innovations that I would like to see to support our world living up to its highest potential. Do I expect to see it in my lifetime. Absolutely not. But, can we get started now? Absolutely. But to get started we need visions that extend beyond the limits of the colonized mindset that we have been so entrenched in. We have to know that we are powerful with or without understanding. We have to play the long game. We have to know that how things have been cannot place the limits on what can be.
Now, if I were able to snap my fingers and make all of this and more happen instantly, I would. AND, I know that reading this would make many people who disagree with my preferences crap their pants. But, that is okay. I want those people to be able to show up fully with all of their disagreements and reasons why what I want to see happen will never work, and their DATA. And I want every individual with everything that makes them them at this present state to show up to a process that has methods to release the powers of the individual, so that at the outcome of the process, we can at least all agree that we gave it our best. We may not leave the process as friends. But, at least we can respect each other as “worthy opponents” like we see in some sports.
However, we can never get there if too many of us remain too afraid to show up—whether in person or in consciousness. Because, despite our assertions otherwise, most of us do not know how to think for ourselves. We don’t trust ourselves. So we just look around to see what our group seems to think collectively and then we go with it to absolve ourselves of any responsibility for undesired outcomes. This tendency comes from letting our amygdala make the decisions that our prefrontal cortex was designed for. It’s basically a bias toward learned helplessness and denial as a means for psychological survival. It’s what makes us vote against our own best interests and follow the crowd that we know doesn’t take our progress into consideration. If you are interested in exploring this more visit the posts that I will add below.
Participatory Democracy: The Future of Governance
In reading New States, it is clear that way back in 1918, Mary Parker Follett was advocating for what we now call Participatory Democracy.
I’m curious, what comes to mind when you think of participatory democracy?
How about when you think about a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
How about a government WITH THE PEOPLE?
That's what I think about when I think of participatory democracy—government WITH THE PEOPLE. And I look forward to a flourishing future where more and more people appreciate systems of governing with rather than governing over.
But, What is Participatory Democracy?
Participatory democracy is a form of government where citizens participate directly in political decisions and policies. Instead of relying solely on elected representatives, citizens actively engage in shaping public policies and initiatives. This approach can increase understanding of and trust in government, promote civic learning, and allocate resources to community needs. It can take many forms and achieve many ends. But, the PEOPLE are always front and center. YOU are front and center. If you want to be.
Of course, like with any innovation, there will be early adopters. And if you are reading my writing, I am going to assume you are one. So, even though it may be some time before your community starts talking about forms of participatory democracy such as Community/Citizen Assemblies, I want encourage you to be someone who starts the conversations wherever you can, whether it is in your home or in city hall. And if you are reading this and so happen to be in Boulder County on June 12, 2025, you can join me and some friends as we discuss Perspectives on Participatory Democracy.
WHEN:
Thursday, June 12, 2025
10:00 AM - Noon MT
WHERE:
Boulder Public Library (Boulder Room)
1001 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder, CO 80302
RSVP Here - https://www.younify.org/perspectives_on_participatory_democracy
Join us for a powerful conversation on how participatory democracy can help renew trust in government and revitalize democracy from the ground up. This interactive session will explore bold, community-centered approaches to civic engagement at the local, state and to national levels.
Featured Speakers:
Pedro Senhorinha Silva II, Director of Engagement at YOUnify
Vivian Castro-Wooldridge, Planning Engagement Strategist, City of Boulder, Colorado
- , Co-Founder of #unifyUSA and author of Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution
Discover how everyday people are stepping into their power to co-create a more just, inclusive, and participatory democracy.
What is Participatory Democracy?
Participatory democracy is a form of government where citizens participate directly in political decisions and policies. Instead of relying solely on elected representatives, citizens actively engage in shaping public policies and initiatives. This approach can increase understanding of and trust in government, promote civic learning, and allocate resources to community needs.
Information
YOUnify develops citizen-leaders and supports institutional leaders to embrace leadership in service of human flourishing. It has developed a unique citizen assembly model with its partner Civic Genius.
City of Boulder and Boulder County are leading a Community Assembly as part of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan major update
#unifyUSA is an inter-partisan citizens movement calling for State and National Citizens Assemblies to Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution.
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