Self-governing local people

Natural Law, including doing no harm and keeping the peace seems okay with you......

Then you may be well on the way to governing yourself very well.

    Watch this video and follow through. I would be very pleased if you would tell us how things were going. Do more to better govern your own life with resilient peaceful people.

Tell us about your experience. I believe that you will be in good company.

                                                                                       Richard S.

Your New Organization Can Be About Citizenship

 Citizenship and Governance: A Brand New Political Organization.

        Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations for many reasons: a new national party, a coalition, an ad hoc effort to promote a special bill or effort, for social betterment, and on and on. They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens. They are expecting wider participation in self-governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

            There is much which needs to be done and many of us to do it. However, just now I will offer a list of hints which may prove helpful to an organizer. 

The hints for civic organization:

~ Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member, be a member.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be useful, but that which we do for ourselves is more important. Each a learner, each a teacher.

~ Clarify aims and goals. Restate them often. Better them when you can.

~ Arrange to have each member have opportunities to help in achieving those goals. How will that be done?

~ Arrange to take care of all business promptly. How will it be done.Arrange for the ongoing education of all members. That's education in the skills and understandings necessary to the organization and organizational aims.

~ Make each member an educator. You do not have to use any of these hints; but anyone of them can be very useful.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust in each member.

~ The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

~ Let each member know that he or she is participating in the creation and nourishing of the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for accomplishing the important doable goals of your organization. 

~ Remember you are not alone. You are part of an organization. laying out, demonstrating, making, and doing are group affairs and  doings. Members want to be active. Let them be active. 

~ It is best that a goal members undertake not only be important and doable, but also ought to be attractive, challenging, and a big deal.

~ Set out a goal or two to be completed today. That is you as in you all set out a goal. You all want your orgainzation to be where the "doings" are.

~ Each member deserves a worthy job he or she can work right now. What a power house an organization can be! Your organization is a big powerful group.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. A grand vision for me might be the ongoing practice of active self-governance. or the ongoing practice of participatory democracy.

~ Ends, goals, objectives, aims can all be good. However, to be well done is important and the way it is done can be the most important.  

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing active self-governance of the whole. Begin with "how to do" teach-ins.

            May these hints/suggestions help you in your action plans.

We have a lot to learn and a lot to do. It's great that there are a lot of us to help with that learning and doing. 

As That Active Citizen and As a participant in a meeting it is fair and useful to:

~ Show up.

~ Speak up.

~ Name the problem.

~ Team up.

~ Find a partner.

~ Frame the discussion.

            That is: be there; address the group; Clarify the topic; Identify those of like mind; make a friend; listen and learn; sum up what the meeting has been about.

            It all starts with showing up and being there.

            Thank you for reading.

 

 

                                                                  RCS

 

 

Organizing power: for self-governance

 Governance, Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do

                Your organization can make you a more effective citizen. There seems to be a new or renewed urge toward new political organization and active citizenship these days. Many of us have a growing understanding of democracy. We see that more active citizenship brings more democracy.

                A new organization is much like an old organization. It takes people to organize, but many of those organizing are new not old. Persons new to organizing, especially political organizing, have a lot to learn. Their energy and enthusiasm will be an important aid to their progress. 

                An organization may have a beginning in individual minds, but its realization will be in a group. A group of people is most often a mess and a mess of people is not an organization. To become an organization there are doings such a mess of people must do. They can begin with a bit of togetherness and continue with a growing ability to cooperate. 

                Agreement that a new organization is necessary or a darn good idea can be a useful beginning. Agreement, perhaps tacit, to work together can be another important step. Finding ways to cooperate is important. Old organizers found many ways to facilitate cooperation.

                Soon the purpose of the organization must begin to be identified and clarified. Clarification of purpose is an ongoing process and activity. This may often be begun by a small group of leaders, but must be carried on by many others.

                Say that the original growing group is made up of citizens who have discovered that they want a brand new political organization. They have some willingness to work together. The also have understandings and misunderstandings to work out. A lot of work.

                Members of this very new organization need to maintain an ongoing understanding of the aims, values, and wants of others in the organization in so far as they affect the organization. Not easy, but important to their ability to increase their effectiveness.

                An important benefit of an organization is that which needs to be done, need not be done by one or a very few, but rather can be shared among and by all members. In fact the more involved with the important work of the organization that are all members, the better the moral and effectiveness of the organization is likely to be. 

                The members of a well functioning group can feel themselves to be effective doers, and can be those effective doers in fact.

                There are some doings and practices which have helped others to start and maintain their organization.

Doings and practices to begin promptly:

~ Consider how you intend to keep in contact.

~ Begin identifying your goals and aims.

~ Clarify goals and aims.

~ Restate goals and aims.

~ Arrange to have each member help to achieve these goals and aims.

~ Take care of all business promptly.

~ Arrange for the ongoing education for all members.

~ Practice dialogue skills.

~ Arrange for members to have opportunity to be educators.

~ Enjoy your participation.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be very good, but seldom as good as that which we do for ourselves. As we teach, we learn.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust of one another.

~ Keep in mind that the fewer the secrets the better. "No secrets" is a good policy.

~ Be inclusive.  as a policy, help anyone who wants to be a member to be one.

~ Encourage equality.

~ Remind one another that each of you is important to and responsible for the maintenance of your organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for achieving important and doable goals and plans for your organization.

~ Aims and goals ought to be not only doable and important but also be an attractive and challenging big deal.

~ Set out one or two doings or goals to be worked on today. Your organization will benefit by having important things to be done right now.

~ Keep in mind that there is much to be done and that each member ought to help with those doings.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. "Learning, teaching, and practicing democratic self governance for all" might be an example of such a vision.

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self-governance.

            Click on the light blue text above for more information.

            Thank you very much for reading.

                                                                                                                        RCS

 

First Look at Ukraine

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. Ukraine. Ukraine.

                Thank you for reading.

 

                                                                                    rcs 

We Can Have Freer Places for Public Speech

Real free speech: under democratic local control, honest, and even true 

                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 local 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, sex, governance. 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, with egalitarian opportunity to participate.

            I would attend if amplification was of modest volume.

                                                                                                by Richard Sheehan

Practice Governance Together

Little "d'' democrats

 

            In the distant past there were democrats. There were democrats in the recent past. There are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as a person who believes in people and in their ability to learn and do. I have a sharp memory of that which some democrats did in my lifetime. A good democrat is a active democrat. We can all learn to be more active in governance, in government. We can learn to take better care of ourselves. 

            Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Some of  those doings tended to be definitive of their beliefs.

Democrats have promoted:

~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.

 ~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.

~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.

~ improved communication among political parties and within them.

~ development of widespread leadership rather than super leaders.

~ enhanced education for participation in governance.

~ cooperative self-governance.

~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.

~ strong respect for our laws.

~ inclusivity  and diversity in public life.

~ cooperation within and among groups.

~ knowledge of the history of democracy including it's  limitations and advantages.

~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.

~ our Constitution and it's Bill of Rights.

~ our national Bill of Rights.

~ loving care of each and every child.

~ respect and honor for the individual, the family, and the neighborhood.

~ more nearly equal opportunity for access to healthcare for each person.

~ strong support for public health.

~ respect for and support of the position of minorities.

~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.

            The above could be suggestive of planks for the platform of a present party or candidate.

            What would you add?

            Thank you for reading.

                                                                               

                                                                                                    by Richard

                                                            

 

Periodista Means Journalist

 Let's start with Platypus

 

                Working from The Pocket Guide of Colombian Hostels, I find that the Casa Platypus is a good place to sleep in Bogota. Bogota is a great big city and the capital of Colombia. The Casa Platypus is a hostel. A hostel is a kind of hotel designed for foreign travelers. It is often a place to get useful information and to have a chance for finding someone who speaks a language you know. The personnel and proprietors these hostels are often welcoming to people from far off lands. You may expect those of the Casa Platypus to be like that.

                The colonial(or republican) style building of the Casa Platypus overlooks a plaza called Parque de las Periodistas.

                "Periodista" can be translated as "Journalist." I find journalists to be an interesting breed which has not quite died out. "Died out" may not quite be the best way to put it. World-wide, journalists see to often to be killed before the can die a natural death."  Assassinate" seems the more honest word.

                Journalists around the world are being assassinated for doing what they can to inform us honestly. They would like to tell us the truth about what they see going on around us. They used to find out about goings on, happenings, and doings, far and wide as well as those close to home. They used to be able to tell us about them without, so often, having to gamble their lives to do so. Today their odds are worse then ever.

                Journalists have carried on their craft for 300 years or so. Some of them are still trying to inform us about that which is going on. However, we have been killing, jailing, imprisoning them, and hiring fewer of them per capita for decades. So now we have fewer of them and they have fewer employers. I remember, as a boy scout, being taught that "honesty is the best policy." Now for our lack of responsibility, or even interest, honesty has become a death sentence for an honest journalist. What are we to tell our children and youth? Is our answer, "nothing?" Shall we say that raising our children in ignorance is for the best? (ignorance of what?)

                Rather than getting the backstory, we get now story at all. Unless it be the watered down fairy-tales some us have come to prefer. We have yet to get from the WWW that which we we had from a widely varied free press.

                There are "Parques de las Periodistas" in other Colombian cities. I know of such a Parque in, the capital city of Antioquia, Medellin.

                This park in the in the Candelaria section of Bogota has been dedicated to a good and careful journalist whom you man know as a famous modern novelist. That novelist is Gabriel Garcia Marques. He is an admirer of those who still practice journalism and has backed up his admiration with solid support.

                In Colombia one finds a good place to sleep and a little backstory.

                Thank you for reading.

                                                                        RCS 

What's to Like in an Organization?

 Some of What I like 

I know that organization increases our power enormously. I know that our organization informs and educates us well.

                    We are capable of forgetting the pleasures and satisfactions  of organization. I expect that the pleasures and satisfactions I am recalling just now will not be the same as yours. Still among mine you may find one or two of yours.

                    I have an interest in ad hoc organizations and and those of longer term.

Below are many of my personal likes in organizations. You may find some of your likes listed.

An organization which attracts me often has:

~ members who feel connected, involve, and respected.

~ the motive of helping me and others to thrive.

~ a clear understanding of costs and benefits.

~ members who promote widespread participation and responsibility.

~ members who embrace reality and who are willing to approach the truth.

~ members who value honesty and justice.

~ a mission I find valuable and pleasing.

~ plenty of talk in which all participate.

An organization which pleases me is one which:

~ Keeps me in the information loop.

~ most members feel well connected with leadership.

~ Makes very clear who pays how much and who gets what.

~ moves in the direction of democracy.

~ tends to be inclusive.

~ tends to safeguard that which I value.

~ includes those who study and promote actions good for me and others.

~ advocates and protects people and process important to me.

~ promotes dialogue which leads to appropriate action.

I find an organization congenial when it includes:

~ teaching the process of organizing.

~ the purpose of advocating and protecting me.

~ objectives very like my own.

~ intelligent, respectful, loving ladies.

                I am very interested in hearing of your likes in organizations. I expect to post more about organization and organizing. Dialogue skills are organizational skills for all participants in society.

                Organizing can be a wonderful move toward governance.

                More as soon as I can.

                Thank you for reading. Take some time to explore this site. Well, you are right here!

                                                                                                            RCS