[Campaignforrealdemocracy] campaign real democracy - actually starting to campaign!

[James Holland]

Hello CRD people. I've been really quiet on this list recently because I've
been actually starting to do some campaigning groundwork for building some
examples of real democracy.

As the climate camp was in SE london, I have some connections in the area
and there are loads of inspiring grassroots campaigns going on; I have moved
into the area and have spent the last few weeks meeting with transition
towns, anti gentrification campaigns, labour struggles, anti school closure
groups, residents associations, community forums etc etc.

I've learned loads already including that you have to be more pragmatic
about who you work with and how, and to look beyond people''s labels and
affiliations. There's good people everywhere!

 I'm focusing my efforts generally on lewisham and southwark, but also on
particular areas within those boroughs. both of these boroughs have
council-created forums that cover a small area (1 ward or slightly larger)
that  i think are good targets to try and increase their democracy (open
agendas, using consensus, encouraging more people to be involved) but also
gradually taking more power. the first steps are to talk to people already
involved in these structures and find out what's already happening, then
probably to get them to use some of their budgets to increase participation,
a

I'm planning to build on the definition I sent out before which was
something like - real democracy is when all the people of a community take
complete and equal control for doing everything their community needs, (and
no one has any power to say what other communities should do.)

I can also report that there is an idea within climate camp to arrange
something for the lead up to the election to expose the charade of
democracy.

james holland
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