[Cja] [project2012] Peoples Assemblies Movement Building

[Mark Barrett]

Hi again

I've now updated the Radical Democracy Manifesto to include welcome
comments I've received on Secularity (which now reads Secularism and
Spirituality). I've also noted the important comment from Anna, which
really is key (and I would add to the list, work):

"I agree with you to keep CJA going and find a common banner to unite
under at a local, international and global level, and as Bert says 'we
must begin with the issues that are the core of our lives - housing,
food, healthcare, transport, childcare, 'education' - and begin a
process of strategising how people can assume common control of these
fundamental life processes'."

Finally I've stuck the Manifesto put forward during the Parliament
Square Occupation at the top, so it now reads:

DEMOCRATIC ECO VILLAGE
(MANIFESTO)

The Democratic Eco Village is an evolving sustainable solution to
climate change and economic collapse, based on consensus at daily
democratic meetings and inspired by the Diggers of 1649 (See
http://www.bilderberg.org/land/diggers.htm#True)

Some ideas on Peoples Assemblies

A. A World to Win:
http://www.aworldtowin.net/frontline/BuildPeoplesAssemblies.html

B. Campaign for Real Democracy:

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 learn 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 and Spirituality - we respect and are happy to learn from
different belief systems
Ecology - we believe in a new, really democratic society with a very
low/zero 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 bring up a child"

Democratic Processes:
(1) Peoples Assemblies make decisions horizontally
(2) Peoples Assemblies are interested to learn about, try out 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 link up in solidarity and
support across the world
(4) Ideals - we are interested to bring about a world based on a
Reclaimation of the Commons, 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
C. Systemic Fiscal Reform:
http://gco2e.blogspot.com/2010/08/geoarchy-goal-of-peoples-assmeblies.html
D. Campaign for a 21st Century Constitution
http://www.peopleincommon.org/archive/C421.html

I hope this will be of assistance and is an ok place for us to start
building a viable movement from.

Cheers

Mark

On 23 August 2010 14:41, Alison Banville <alisonbanville at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> on secular spirituality, there is pantheism and other related beliefs of the so-called 'new age' variety which are not aligned with religion but why not simply use your own authority to determine what you believe? Spirtuality is something you can't help but emdody whenever you show love for all life and the natural world and you don't need anyone else to rubberstamp it for you. Explore beliefs by all means but your own heart is the best guide in the end. Personally I think this is because we are all one consciousness and so each of us has access to universal intelligence when we go within but hey that's just me, and I'm with Thomas Paine 'my country is the world, my religion is to do good.'
>
>
> --- On Mon, 23/8/10, Jocelyn Chaplin <jochaplin at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Jocelyn Chaplin <jochaplin at yahoo.com>
>> Subject: Re: [project2012] Peoples Assemblies Movement Building
>> To: project2012 at googlegroups.com
>> Date: Monday, 23 August, 2010, 14:14
>> I like and agree with all of this
>> except the last ideology bit. As things are at the moment
>> the State is needed to preserve some degree of equality.
>> This is being so seriously threatened right now that many
>> people who would be interested in People's Assemblies would
>> also be interested in preserving State finance to nursaries,
>> hospitals etc. etc. Otherwise we could be seen as allied to
>> Cameron's hypocritical 'big society'.
>>
>> Also, is there a kind of secular spirituality that honours
>> mother earth and all her creatures without being religious?
>>
>> Jocelyn.
>>
>> --- On Sun, 22/8/10, phil <phil.dunk at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > From: phil <phil.dunk at gmail.com>
>> > Subject: Re: [project2012] Peoples Assemblies Movement
>> Building
>> > To: "project2012 at googlegroups.com"
>> <project2012 at googlegroups.com>
>> > Date: Sunday, 22 August, 2010, 15:28
>> >
>> >
>> > ;-)