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

Civic Power

Governance With RCS: The neat workings of democratic power.

We have a lot to learn, but it is not hard stuff. There is a lot of it. The following video provides us with a starting framework for keep that which we learn usefully arranged.

Thank you wonderful You Tube.

Selected for you by Richard Sheehan

Your Group, Yourself

Governance With RCS, groups: participation in a group is an important step toward effective civic participation.

               You can learn a lot about yourself by participating in a group. You can practice observing yourself as you participate. You can learn much by observing other members. In a group you can begin the valuable potentials of a group.

               One of the prime injunctions of wisdom teachings has been "Know thyself."

               Surely an important part of being includes learning. Learning about the world around us seems an important move toward self knowledge. I believe that learning about groups is an important part of learning about the world around us.

               Participation in a group is a learning experience. That learning and that experience will be of varying quality. Much of such learning can lead to knowledge of self. Some groups are more interesting and useful than others. Some groups may be better for you than those which seems to suit your present personality.

               A high level of regular participation by members has been important for a group's effectiveness and longevity. We may call an effective and long lived group an organization. In such an organization it may b vital that each member know that she(or he)has an important job or place in it. A group being a practicing participatory democracy tends to increase the level of group participation.

               Get a group or organization. Enjoy it's power and your growth.

To analyze your organization, to know it better, and to participate more effectively in it, you and a friend may take some of the actions suggested below:

~ Find out who has the authority to implement your organizational plans.
~ Know the action plan for for the long range funding of your organization.
~ Find out who is involved in developing your strategic plan.
~ Know your membership trends.
~ Consider the nature of your organization's benefits.
~ Know who is doing the bulk of the work to accomplish the goals of the organization.
~ Know what people do the work. Where are they? Identify them.
~ Make sure you know the engines of your organization.

You might also look for answers to the following questions about your organization and about your self:

~ What questions do you have about your organization and your membership in it?
~ How will you get answers to those questions?
~ What will you do about your questions and answers?
~ What makes it or you operate
~ What motivates you and other members?

Enjoy your growing power and that of your organization! And, learn more about you!

Thank you for reading.

by Richard Sheehan

Civics for the Brave and the Free

Governance With RCS: Try it where you live. Here among these governance blogs are two posts similar to this one: Civics for the Free and the Brave; Civics for the Free and the Brave (1)

It is useful to remember that civility is an important part of effective civics and politics.

We can benefit and profit by leaning:
~ more of "civility."
~ some collaborative leadership.
~ about consensus building.
~ a deeper level of tolerance.
~ about sources of conflict.
~ how people who are fundamentally different from one another can develop sensitivities that will enable them to get along.

We are at our civic best when we:

~ are listening.
~ are working in partnership with others.
~ lead by example.
~ have the courage to be appropriately humble.

Learn, educate yourself, find out what others have to say, organize, plan,
act.

We have a lot to learn. My old aunt said that by beginning we are halfway there. After that, one does one's best to keep on keeping on.

by Richard Sheehan

Look at the Parties and Find Platforms

Governance With RCS: "A party|" sound to good to be true. Perhaps we can party enough to learn enough to change the nature of parties.

Let's have a party:

               Or, let's have a platform. Or, let's have a plank. "A party" sounds most attractive, but I have reason to consider a plank first and we can find planks in platforms.

               The kind of plank I am considering is political. is the name given to fundamental parts of a political platform. Political party platforms are made up of planks. This kind of plank does not come from a tree, but rather from the minds of men and women. We can shape one, or more.

               We have some ideas about the nature of a political party. Historically each person running for political office  usually had a platform much like the platform of his party. So we know that a platform is what a person running for office stood on. I Great Britain, I believe, stood for office rather than running for office as one does in the US. A platform was once more about what party stood for rather than stood on. A party and it's platform may be much about wants, interests, needs, desires, values, and even philosophy of citizens, the men and women of the nation.

So, parties had platforms. An important to those platforms were its planks. Each plank was likely to represent a specific want, interest need, etc.

               Right now I a less interested in specific candidates, elections, or parties and am more interested in the specifics the platform they stand on. The specifics are best found in the planks.

               So, I am interested in platforms and the planks of those platforms, I am interested in specific planks and sets of planks one can stand on and for.

               I want a solid plank I can work on and see implemented in our nation. I am interested in a plank I can be proud to stand up for. I am interested in a plank which represents real and specific values and interests in an understandable and attractive way.

*******************************************************************

               First we form and find some great planks. With them we can make a great platform. On that great platform can stand a great (new) party. A party to be proud of.

               Heaven forbid that other parties should copy a plank of ours. ha, ha.

We can also promote our favorite planks directly to citizens with never having a party except like ones to celebrate our success, our birthdays, and our favorite holidays.

Thanks for reading.

Comment to us about the content of this post, whenever you like.

by Richard Sheehan

Treaties 0.00

Governance With RCS: Sorry, 0.00 seems to imply a university remedial class. This little piece does not begin to reach that level. Still it does seem important to me.

When a treaty is secrete from us, can it be ours?

Who will begin to teach me the nature of some of our most important treaties?

What are their names?

What has been agreed on?

In whose name are they signed? (ours?)

I expect to write more about treaties one of these days and may have already posted more than posted others. On History With RCS?

by Richard
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People Power Plus

Governance With RCS: People Power: Change is important. Effective social doings call for communal knowledge, collective understanding.

I find that when we use the terms "people power" or "power to the people" that we often have a fuzzy understanding of the concept involved. This unclear understanding can be of tragic danger to a people. At times, these phrases seem to have been a call to revolution. From time to time that call has been answered with thought to the fact that revolutions are unpleasant for many and that their aftermath is often long suffering.

Change is. It is important and necessary, often pleasant and healthy, and seldom revolting.

In revolution there is too often too little planning and agreement among us for what is to come next. With revolution comes the need to clean up the nasty mess it causes. after the clean up, is the need to build the new order. That need calls for the common understanding of the plan for doing that building. People are often left with no agreed upon plan and few resources; they are at a loss for what to do!

Revolution can turn out to be repugnant, revolting, sickening, and deadly for too many. A high cost. Revolution has seldom been a good plan. It has sometimes been worse than no plan.

When we want "what is to come next" to be better than what we have now deserves some thought. We need to consider carefully what it is that we want and are out alternatives for getting it. At the very least, we need to consider that much. To be a "we" we need to agree, we need a common understanding of the nature of our common want. We need to carefully consider our alternatives and choose one as our agreed on common way forward. That way may or not be revolution.

We see change; happening is change and doing is change. Doing is less frequent. Doing is done on purpose, it is done consciously. It takes effort to learn to do effectively. We do learn to do effectively and we can learn from our doing. observation helps. Its good to know that we do learn.

For long, many Americans many Americans have been pleased to vote and to "throw the rascals out" when our representatives displeased us. We used our vote to do that. We have begun to learn that voting is not enough. We have been slow to provide candidates to vote for.We have been slow to take part in the nomination process. We have organized to do so from time to time, but have failed to teach our children how to do so. We have proven to be to easy to disorganize. Some of us are practicing organization again, but we have forgotten many of the basics. We still have not lost all of our co-operation skills.

We see that there seem to be plenty of "new rascals" to take place of the "old rascals." Too many of us are unsure of what to do about that an to be unsure of why that happens.

The designers of our Constitution knew a lot about the whats and whys of governance. They also paid a lot of attention to the hows of governance. They condensed much of what they learned and knew into the Constitution we adopted as our Constitution. Some of us participated in that process and learned that the key to working the Constitution was participation. Many wise men over a couple of hundred years admired that document as a practical and beautiful way for us to learn to govern ourselves by practicing the ways it laid out. They saw it as a way to much more. For example: as a way to democracy and a way to adaptive governance.

The people of Venezuela seem to have found that voting is not enough and not only "threw the rascals out" but also "threw the baby out with its wash water." They let themselves get so exasperated that they threw out to much of the old with little consideration how they would institute the new they would need.

I have some memory of the overthrow of the U.S. surrogate leadership in the in the Philippines. The people of those islands decided it was time for a change and chased our man, Marcos, out to U.S. shores. A change was made, but the Philippine people were not prepared to handle the results and had not agreed on useful alternatives. The results are history.

Those 1980s happenings in the Philippines provided little learning for most of those effected. A certain few Americans gained some advantage. Most Americans did not know what happened and did not notice their loss. A very few Philippine individuals felt a little advantage, others felt some satisfaction at seeing Marcos leave the islands, most experienced very little change and no advantage.

To make beneficial changes in governance, an understanding of the present government helps. A wide understanding of common wants and needs is also a help. Another help, which calls for some learning and experience, is knowledge of the kinds of governance available to mankind. A great understanding of the governance of the state and government with which one is most familiar may be vital. We benefit by learning to justly, legally, and effectively use our actual government.

Power with no action is no power at all. That may be good because there are some powers worse than others. Most agree that a power used for good is the better power. Power can be very good when it is handled with skill and understanding. The greater that skill and understanding the better the chances are for a good result. We each have the power to improve both our understanding and our skill. We need the will to learn and to practice the basics of civil co-operation.

All of us can benefit by each of us developing a better understanding of democracy among us.

As for people power, its power may be measured by the will of the people to govern, and of their understanding the nature of governance, A good source of understanding is experience. Experience can include organizing for action and education. Such experience may also be gained in the practice of politics, civics, social co-operation and most democratic social activity. Knowledge of the workings of ones actual government may be vital. Knowledge of the laws and systems of your government is important. That is a clear understanding of the workings of your present government is important to any success. Details are important, but a clear overall vision of the governance is often more powerful. So, in the USA, the ongoing improvement of your understanding of the meanings to be found in the Constitution, the more powerfully effective you may be. Frequent quotations from that document are seldom helpful.

When one is active the ongoing clarification of plans and goals may become critical.

A good beginning for an active citizen is showing up. Also the practice of associating oneself with clear, realistic, appropriate goals and plans can go far in keeping one out of difficulties.

People power, in the hands and heart of those who show up to participate, listen, learn; and then to act with love and respect for themselves, their body politic, and humanity in general, has a great chance for being strong, enduring, and good.

Your deepening understanding, of democracy and the will of the good people around you, can give you effective strength.

Satisfaction can be found in co-operation with to practice governance of one's self and in co-operating with others in your common governance.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate comments to the contents of this post.

RCS

Here's More !

Governance With RCS: revolution and people power

Most attempts at revolution fail due to lack of understanding of the ways and means of rule. A grave lack is, failing to achieve consensus of what to do after the "bad guys" have been deposed. This is often due to lack of will to use communication skills to better advantage. An ongoing inclusive dialogue seems called for.

Often a resolution is mounted by a coalition of parties. Once the oppressive rulers have been deprived of power, members of the coalition parties lack sufficient skills at cooperation with and compromising with the other groups. So, governance relapses into a state of sickness.

It also seems worthwhile to consider that, that which begins in killing often does not go forth well.

Comments on content are welcome.

Richard

Universiry of California at Berkeley

Governance With RCS including: Californians, people, citizens, governing, education, university, Land Grant College

               It appears that most Californians no longer think of the University of California as our university. If that is the fact, I am sure that there is a very good reason for them to think so.

               Californians now, it seems, think so little of their university that the now give it very little support emotionally, intellectually, or financially. For the first time in the history of the University, private philanthropy contributes more to it than do the people of the State. I am grateful that such help is available. However, I also see it as another case of giving to the 1% that which once belonged to the people.

               Once, our plan for the University was that it not only be an engine that fueled the economic prosperity of California, but also an institution that developed citizens capable of governing the State and to help govern the Nation.

               Where we once were willing to pay for for the education of students who were able to govern as well as to produce wealth, we are now putting our governance into the hands of those few parents who can afford to pay for a great education for for their offspring now and to those certain powerful organized private parties with a great accumulation of wealth.

What is the status of U of C at B as a Land Grant college?

I love suggestions, comments, and interesting information.

RCS

Habeas Corpus: From 17th Century England to Today

Justice Delayed is Justice DeniedWartime use of the writ of habeas corpus. Interpretation example at Guantanamo Bay and historic examples with other modern interpretations. Why did we not learn this law, right, and duty of ours at school and at home. It is our Great Right. Continue learning more about it. Use it or lose it.

Let's Have a Party! What is Kennedy's Platform like?

Governance: values, planks, platforms, parties, people, a bit of politics

               Or, let's have a platform. Or, let's have a plank. "A party" sounds most attractive, but I have reason to consider a plank first.

               The kind of plank I am considering is political. is the name given to fundamental parts of a political platform. Political party platforms are made up of planks. This kind of plank does not come from a tree, but rather from the minds of men and women. We can shape one, or more.

               We have some ideas about the nature of a political party. Historically each person running for political office  usually had a platform much like the platform of his party. So we know that a platform is what a person running for office stood on. I Great Britain, I believe, stood for office rather than running for office as one does in the US. A platform was once more about what party stood for rather than stood on. A party and it's platform may be much about wants, interests, needs, desires, values, and even philosophy of citizens, the men and women of the nation.

               So, parties had and have platforms. An important of those platforms were its planks. Each plank was likely to represent a specific want, interest need, values of citizens

               Right now I am less interested in specific candidates, elections, or parties and am more interested in the specifics the platform they stand on. The specifics are best found in its planks.

               So, I am interested in platforms and the planks of those platforms, I am interested in specific planks and sets of planks one can stand on and for. I can direct my interests to the specifics of a chosen plank. I want a solid plank I can work on and see implemented in our nation. I am interested in a plank I can be proud to stand up for. I am interested in a plank which represents real and specific values and interests in an understandable and attractive way.

There is a lot to learn and we can find some satisfaction in helping one another. I am pretty sure that a plank or a splinter of it may lead to the creation of a Bill. That.s something

*******************************************************************

First we form some great planks. Or find them in the 20 some party sites online. With them we can make a great platform. On that great platform can stand a great (new) party. A party to be proud of. We can learn a lot in the process.

Heaven forbid that other parties should copy a plank of ours.

We could look through the planks we find online and pick out the ones we really like a lot.

by Richard Sheehan

Civics for the Free and the Brave (1)

Governance With RCS: Civics for the free and the brave including: civility, learning, and democracy

Civility is an important part of civics an politics.

We can profit by learning:

~ some collaborative leadership.

~ about a deeper level of tolerance.

~ about sources of conflict.

~ how people who are fundamentally different from each other can develop sensibilities that enable them to get along.

~learning about consensus building.

We are at our civic best when we:

~ are listening.

~ are working in partnership with others.

~ lead by example.

~ have the courage to be appropriately humble.

We have a lot to learn. My old aunt told me that by beginning, we are half way there. After beginning one does ones best by keeping on keeping on.

RCS

Habeas Corpus

Governance With RCS: Our U.S. Constitution was written with the Common Law in mind, democracy too. Habeas Corpus has a great sound.

You may find the Common Law worth learning about online. You may want to know and support more of common law.

Habeas Corpus is an important part of our common law. It has important ramifications. Recently I was reading online of some of the more important details of Habeas Corpus. Let me repeat just one below.

Today, the Common Law's ancient writ of Habeas Corpus is one of our most important defenses against tyranny. Tyranny is a bad word you can enjoy reading the extended meaning of online.

By issuing a writ of habeas corpus a judge or court may compel those holding a prisoner, to produce that prisoner and to prove that they have legally incarcerated the individual. When that prisoner is friend or family it is best that the judge be our judge and the court our court.

Note that when I use the word "our" above, we have claiming and supporting to do.

We really have a lot to learn. I am willing to learn more about Habeas Corpus, our constitution, the Common Law, the growth of tyranny, our judges and courts.

I have already learned much of what my old aunt told me more than once: "Use it, or lose it"

Thank you for reading.

by Richard Sheehan

U. S. Citizens Can Be Better Citizens

Governance With RCS: Michael Moore reminded me to pick a policy or issue, contact a Senator or Representative, and tell him, or her, what is on my mind.

He suggests that it works when you work it. He also suggests that it is best to politely say briefly and clearly exactly what it is that you want. Then to back up he person who supports you.

Ways to contact your representatives include the following:
For your Senator go right to senate.gov
For Representatives go to www.house.gov/write/rep/

* Regular mail: Write to: Office of the Senate, (name of your Senator), United States Senate, Washington DC, 20510
Or to Office of Representative, (name of your Representative), United States House of Representatives, Washington DC, 20515

Call 202-224-3121 the US Capitol switchboard. Tell them your zip code and they will transfer you to the office of your Representative.

It is fair and right to make contacts at local levels such as your: state, county, city, district, etc.

Use the "Comments" section below to tell us of your experience. You can choose your comment to be anonymous if you wish.

RCS

Citizenship?

Governance With RCS:It seems that there is a lot to learn about this citizenship business; for US it is active citizenship and self governance.

If someone asks me how I use my school district I might say, "I don't go to school? That ask me how other people use it and I might answer, "Your guess is as good as mine."

If that same bothersome person asks me if I'm interested in water, I might say that I sometimes drink it and often bathe bathe in it. The person may ask me where my water comes from. I might answer, "doesn't come from the lake? He might ask me how I use my water district and I may say, "What's a water district?

If that same person ask me if I vote, I might say yes. If he asks me how I use my electoral district, I might say, "Huh?"

If I ask you what your favorite planks are, how would you answer me?

Are we good citizens? What kind of citizenship are we practicing? What's citizenship?

Does our electoral district do things with our votes?

Who's in charge here?

RCS

Test Questions:

1. What's the difference between a salamander and a gerrymander?

2. What is it that is being gerrymandered?

3.What is the purpose of an electoral district?

4. What is proportional voting?

5. What is semi-proportional voting?

Place answers, additional info, questions related to content in the "comments" section below.

Work is Changing for the Better: and it seems to be doing so faster. Call it a shift change

Governance With RCS: Participatory management and ownership leads to a democratic workplace or business.

Shift Change. There are companies, industries, banks, in which workers share ownership. There are co-ops too. They say it leads to a better working atmosphere and more worker security. Its been going on for a long time and now interest is rising again. Some are looking to Basque Country for inspiration. An important purpose of worker owned companies seems to be stable work and jobs.

RCS

A New Farm Bill. We are All Eaters.

Governance With RCS: We are responsible for feeding ourselves. We Are Many; We Need Not Govern Alone

Federal bills may seem boring, incomprehensible, and unimportant. They do not have to be that and many are important. Some of them very important to us personally.

Federal bills become national laws which we must live with, or work to change. We need to co-operate to get early information about bills and the changing of bills. Changing them may be more difficult than passing them.

               A new farm bill comes along every five years or so and I am yet to witness a national dialogue or debate on it. It not only affects our national debt, but also what we eat and how much our food costs. It may determine the price of rice in Vietnam and the price of corn in Mexico. It is our main strategy for feeding ourselves. We, as a people, have never taken the time to talk about it.

               Most of us, including our legislators, consider it boring, incomprehensible, and unimportant.

               We don't have to be this way. We can educate ourselves. We can create bills that are much easier to understand and we can talk over the issues and our policy. When e find the bills easier to understand we may find them more interesting. We may find ourselves giving our children a better chance of eating well.

               The farm bill is important. It is our farm bill. We could probably benefit by putting our agricultural policy in better alignment with our public health needs and our environmental needs. If we cared enough we could make it easier to feed our children fresh food. W could make sure that farmers, got fair prices and not distorting subsidies.

               When we are willing to talk with one another we can get the issues on the table where we can look them over.

               Among people who are not slaves, it seems important to expand the circle of citizens who decide how we shall get the food we need and want.

                "How am I," you ask, "to take care of our food supply?" You already know the answer to that question. The answer is, of course, that you cannot. We need to organize to do things for ourselves. We. we need to co-operate, to organize and to do the work that needs doing.

We all need to eat.

RCS

Abdication is Not Delegation

Governance With RCS: You have delegated the responsibility of educating your children to your local school board. You are responsible for the workings of your school board. That school board employs the teachers educating your children

Have you any questions? In case not, here are a few.
+ What does "abdication" mean?
+ How do you make sure that your school board is properly equipping your instructors and schools?
+ What do you consider proper?
+ How is your school board allocating your money?
+ How are the men and women on that board having teachers treat your children?
+ How are they treating those teachers?
+ What kind of school district auditing program are you running?
+ Who reviews your audits?
+ Who is watching that hen house?
+ What level of transparency does your school board practice?
+ Who attends to school district accountability?
+ How is your board handling pensions? Lots of money there.
+ How do you get your information about your local school board?
+ Who informs you about school board doings.
+ Do the men and women of your board tend to use rubber stamps given them by others?

You can post your answers in the "comments" widow just below the bottom of this post.

by Richard Sheehan

Governace and Economics & NEW SOCIALISM

Governance With RCS: We don't know about the old socialism. What are we supposed to do with new socialism.

New Socialism. After 60 years of repression we have new socialism. Its old,but its new. It has been all around our world, but has been repressed in the United States. We have some new doings and some old doings to learn about. One Old curious set of doings is Worker Co-operatives. It is possible to interpret and to analyze an economic system, even micro-economic systems. Socialism has been alive and well even in the U.S.

RCS

Mondragon Co-operatives in Basque Country

Co-operatives seem doable, understandable, and worth learning more about.

This set of co-ops seems an excellent example. It seems to be a success in every sense of the word. I do not know all that is worth knowing about it, but I know enough to want to know more. If you are planning a trip to Spain and are up for visiting the Basque country. Do so. Arrange to visit the little city of Mondragon. Once there arrange for tour of the nearby Mondragon co-op facilities near by. Your purpose for doing this is to bring us a report and post it in "comments" below. You might want to check out the nature of worker co-ops before heading to Basque Country. Viewing this video makes a decent start.

Enjoy the video.

rcs

RCS