Free, Democratic, and Inclusive

History With RCS: Cossack, Ukrainian, and Free

Cossacks have been free men and democratic. They have only been known to history since about 650 AD. They have been active in self-governing communities for well over a thousand years. They have been open, inclusive, with a Slavic bent. They knew a world from Siberia to Lithuania and up and down for many years, but were drawn to a certain land.

The Ukrainian Cossack State was formed in about 1650 in what is now central Ukraine. Their leaders were elected.

Through the years they have been few. Democracy is not easy. They experienced much, and stayed free among strong neighbors such as Poland, Russia, and Lithuania. Among such neighbors they continued to show a strong will for self-governance.

They formed the Ukrainian Peoples Republic in 1917 to 1921, the western Ukrainian Peoples Republic 1918 to 1919, and the Ukrainian Peoples Republic in exile from 1920 to 1992.

They were among the very first members of the Soviet Union with its promise of self-governing citizens. They may have been the first to leave that Union when it showed little will to self-governing citizenship.

They were among the charter members of the United Nations with its promise of a chance for peace and freedom. They have not given up on their fellow members yet.

Ah, yes, I believe that at the breakup of the Soviet Union the were left with one of the greatest stock of atomic weapons on Earth and gave up that stock to the U.N.

They have been few and still are. They are still a mixture of races, nationalities, and religions. They are a free democratic people self selected from that mixture.

We might mention that while all this was going on they, with the help of a few viking Norsemen, created Russia. Oh, and they had a modern republic type written constitution in 1710.

I believe that a history of the cultures most effecting these people could be traced back another 4,000 years. However, before about 650 AD they were little recognized in history as a discrete people. Throughout perhaps a thousand years of their history they stayed freer, more democratic, and inclusive than most. They have had to defend themselves and they have. They have also kept the hope and faith that they could live a free people among free people. They have seen inclusiveness, freedom, and democracy disappear like smoke again and again. Still they hold a vision of that freedom and self governance closer and dearer than do most.

Please feel free to correct this work or add to it in the "comments" section below or just to click on a social media button just below.

Ukraine.

Thank you for reading.

rcs

Public Fora

Governance With RCS: A public location dedicated to free speech including speech on important affairs.

           It seems to me that many geographical communities and perhaps neighborhoods could benefit from a physical forum. A place especially designed in which to freely talk about matters of public interest. It ought to be a place that small crowds and smaller groups could be addressed and perhaps ranted to about about politics, religion, and sex. It could also have space and time for conversation on more important affairs. Space for free tutoring or teaching might find a place and be of benefit in such a place.

           It could be a space in which to learn free speech. Really true free speech.

           I would attend if none of it were amplified.

                                                                               by Richard Sheehan

To Be Socially Active and Political Active

Governance With RCS: To Be A Participatory democrat

It is fair and useful to....

Show up.

Speak up.

Frame the discussion.

Name the problem.

Team up.

Find a partner.

by Richard Sheehan

American Mythology and the Loss of Democracy

Governance With RCS: It's hard to lose democracy, but it can get very rusty from lack of practice.

Decades of lack of practice are resulting in a loss of our hard won democracy. We are governed by others and are now on our way to passing into superfluousness.

Read our Declaration of Independence. When we don't use it, we lose it.

Nader is reminding us of that which we can do. Listen carefully for what can be done.

Also he says that it takes only about 1% of us to be strongly effective. 20% is much better.

We can learn to do it by doing it.

We must learn more about cooperation and organization.

We must learn how to more effectively cooperate and organize.

We may also benefit from reconsidering the nature of freedom, as in free press, free communication, free elections, freedom of privacy and more about free men and women.

Without active citizenship and active self-governance we become useless.

Do you remember what superfluousness means?

by Richard

Senator Sanders

Governance With RCS: Senator Sanders:

The two parties we have known and loved are about gone.

It is time for a new party with planks and a platform, and active members we can be proud of.

We can attract citizens from all parties and from no party. A big place for the Green Party within our fresh new party might be good.

We could ask everyone to help us find an appropriate new name.

We can do what we can for the next elections, but build a decade long teach-in for the effective citizenship of a grand number of fresh faces, minds, spirits, and hearts.

You have begun the great work of educating youth for citizenship, and it is wonderful work that will not be completed in our lifetime.

Thank you for your life of grand service past, present, and future.

by Richard

Socially or Politically Active

Governance With RCS: To Be A Participatory democrat

It is fair and useful to....

Show up.

Speak up.

Frame the discussion.

Name the problem.

Team up.

Find a partner.

by Richard Sheehan

Union Now

Governance With RCS: Stand United

How shall we find a more perfect union now?

How shall we form a more perfect union now?

How shall we have a more perfect union now.

rcs

A Democratic Meeting

Governance With RCS: Hints about the nature of a democratic meeting

Some hints for recognizing a democratic meeting:

As you look over the hints below you may find it useful to keep in mind that all democracy is participatory and that each such meeting can be a powerful learning experience for those who attend. For example, some participants may be learning intrinsic rules for effective and just communication.

On to the hints. A meeting is more democratic the more it is:

~ of, by, and for the participants.

~ free from outside powers.

~ autonomous.

~ designed and redesigned to meet the needs of participants.

~ as inclusive as reasonable.

~ an important listening experience for the participants.

~ a place where leadership roles are of wide participation and kept to a minimum.

~ a "teach in" and an informing experience.

~ often more for understanding and less for decisions.

~ less authoritarian and hierarchical and more horizontal and egalitarian.

~ a time for thinking together.

~ a time when your comments are best addressed to the group as a whole.

~ a time to practice good manners and honesty.

~ held in a neutral space.

Other things that can happen at a meeting, democratic or not:

~ Politics may be being practiced.

~ Some may be consciously practicing dialogue skills, methods, and techniques.

~ Some are finding that their respect and courtesy are good for them and others.

~ It is held in a safe place.

~ Some participants may be increasing their understanding if the vocabulary of the business and hand.

Hope these words have proven more more orienting than dis orienting.

There is a great happening at any meeting. People showed up!

Thank you for reading. Show up again and explore ways of searching this blog.

bye for now,

rcs