Circle of Power Groups

Circle of power groups are far from the only way for citizens to  organize for their wellbeing, even so, they can be a darned good way

        Citizen assemblies can be another effective way to organize. In such assemblies there is no need to do what an authority or anyone else says we should do. In our assemblies we can learn to trust each other more appropriately. We can listen to one another more carefully and carefully come up with  that which we truly and deeply want in our governance. 
        

            We can also learn to better use that which we have. We can learn to better inspire, inform, and support our elected representatives and others inside of government. It is okay too to act as we decide best to act "inside" our system of governance. Continuing to continue to act in civil society seems also important.
       

             So, the idea is to use our assembly to be better, more effective, active citizens. An perhaps act to act gently and persistently to re-assemble our republic. And we could even allow the more radical among us to consider the true nature of democracy. Still it is well remember that many of us are in this together and that we have a lot to learn and that we do not always speak exactly the same language. So, to learn to act together we need to practice listening to one another carefully.
        

            People who have thought much about citizen assemblies use and interesting word, '''commision.' In dealing with  a working government, even one which is working far from perfectly, we learn that there is a vocabulary they often use which we do not often use and I hope that we seldom do use. We could usefully get ''commissioned" to support and inform parts of government. This is one way to get listened to on the inside. It can be powerfully useful, but it is not necessary. Will want to get powerful people in government to listen to us more carefully and that may be an ongoing goal, but "there is more than one way to skin a cat." Please do not practice on our cats.
       

            Our governance is a public thing and each assembly has the power of being a mini-public.
            

            Our assemblies can become a kind of corporate entities and by so doing gain outside monies from philanthropies and other interested parties to support our ability to do. However, the tendency to do that is the reason why I like our little circles of power to be our principle organization. Still,when has the time and energy it seems fine to be a member of more than one organization. Our very citizenship makes us a member of an organization. My maternal grandmother was a member of about a dozen clubes, her union, and a political party. I found her to a good citizen, a good person, and a good grandmother. I imagine that all her clubs found her to be a member in good standing.

            The special power is produced physically. Goodwill is important. It is well done in a neutral, semi private, and quiet place. It is done by sitting in a circle facing inward. It is best when the chairs are the same or similar. There is no other furniture except perhaps a small table at the center of the circle. Using the circle their may be from 3 to 33 approximately.

            The idea is to give each participant a short period of time to speak at each session for a limited time as the other participants practice listening with care. To learn more about this energizing practice go to the associated site Dialogue With RCS.

            We need to better talk together about our governance,

            Thank you for reading.

A Few Quotes: Por algo Sera.

                A lot depends upon how one interprets them

                "The philosophy in the classroom today is the philosophy of the government "  by Norman Williams

I am not sure this is true. I believe that parents and citizens are responsible for their schools and that which is taught in the classroom. When they abdicate that responsibility Children and youth begin to suffer. They note promptly that something is not right in school or classroom. They usually do not like it, but usually figure "that's just the way things are, and go through the motions as best as they can. Later many of them figure "there is a reason for this" and the begin to consider the nature of the reason for the way things are. Is it teacher? Student? Those above teachers? Above students? Just who is responsible for the way our public schools are?

"The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world."

by George Orwell

I think that our concepts of honesty, experience, and good evidence could take up a lot of slake. I Orwell meant by ''the world," people. Things like truth fade out of people. I bet there is a reason for that.

"The public will believe anything so long as it is not founded on truth."

By Edith Sitwell

This seems an exaggeration and not quite true. It seems that most of our public is educated in our public education systems. It seems that the public is made up of the ones responsible of our public education systems. What happens when they fail to honor their responsibility. We may believe lies or falsehoods, but that is usually not a favorite doing of ours.

"Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea"

That is republicanism and democracy and the idea that governance is in the hands of the citizens and is their responsibility. When they do not uphold that responsibility the fall into ignorance. What was the reasons for your parent's and your grandparent's reason for the way they governed. What was their understanding of republicanism? democracy? What was the reason for their way of governance? A republic was not to be governed by a small elite, nor by a church. A democracy was the abundant participation of the people in their own governance. The more people the better. The people have usually been considered to be citizens of the state. It was considered by many that the governance practiced be the people was better than rule by a king, most of the time. 

by John Gunther

            What do you think? Who is responsible for you and yours? Who is responsible for your neighborhood? Your health? Your organization. Your county? Your co-operation? Your education? 

                                                                                                    rcs