[Campaignforrealdemocracy] Peoples Assemblies Movement Building

[Mark Barrett]

HI there

I know we've already had some stabs at this but ater yesterday's meeting I
put together the following summary of what PA thing appears to be about for
those individuals who are passionate on them. I thought that something like
this could be sent to our friends in Togo, to see what they make of it - and
this is my main purpose for writing it - happy to hear your comments.

Love

Mark

Peoples Assemblies and the world we believe they can bring about

Values:

Equality - each person is able to speak and be listened to -  there is no
elite platform
Difference - we learning from each other's perspectives; we may disagree,
but we listen to one another respectfully and our views become
refined through the experience
Solidarity - we are together because we believe in the existence of a common
agenda. In spite of our differences, we pursue and find consensus over ideas
and shared actions
Sharing - we believe in a society in which sharing and co-operation trump
competition. We freely share food and other gifts at our meetings
Secularity - we respect and are happy to learn from different belief systems
but are committed to the ideal of secularism
Ecology - we believe in a new, really democratic society with a very low
carbon footprint
Self-determination - we struggle for a new kind of freedom based on
community nurturing true individuality, and vice versa - "It takes a village
to being up a child"

Democratic Processes:
(1) Peoples Assemblies make decisions horizontally
(2) Peoples Assemblies are interested to learn about and embody new
democratic practices

Core Aims:
(1) Real Democracy - PAs should find ways to campaign for a really
ecological, democratic society at local, national and global levels
(2) Decentralisation - to bring this about sovereignty should be vested at
the neighbourhood / community / workplace level
(3) Internationalism - PA communities linking up in solidarity and support
across the world
(4) Ideals - we are interested to bring about a world based on Truth, Peace,
Sustainability, Justice and Compassion above all things and we are willing
to fight non-violently to this end
(5) Peoples Assembly movement - to bring these aims about we are calling for
a movement based on the idea of Peoples Assemblies

Ideology
(1) local, democratic not private or state led provision of public services
(the real third way)
(2) really democratic, people powered globalisation not capitalist or
state-led (the real third international)
(3) a new appropriate political economy to match
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