The Wisdom Council Process uses random selection and Dynamic Facilitation to facilitate a large system of people into the spirit of choice-creating so they can face and solve difficult issues together. It's a way to transform the culture where "we" all feel empowered to capably manage the system we inhabit. It's a new kind of democracy, "wise democracy". .... As first described in the book Society's Breakthrough, it's a way to facilitate the people of the U.S. to come together as "We the People" and provide responsible leadership to the national government, marketplace and culture. The Wisdom Council Process can be applied to all levels of system—communities, NGO's, cities, nations, networks, corporations, schools and even to the global system.
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Many experiments have shown that the process works. For instance, two state governments in Austria have adopted the Wisdom Council Process (In German it's called a "Bürgerat" or "Citizens Council") into their constitutions. (See seven short videos posted in English on the website for the State of Vorarlberg) Plus Germany held a national version in 2016.
The projected benefits of the Wisdom Council Process are over-the-top-good. The costs are low. And the risks are hard to find. Most objections come from people who can't imagine it working. But it does.
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Dr. Manfred Hellrigl describes how his department OFRI in Vorarlberg, Austria uses the Wisdom Council Process
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Regularly (maybe every month or quarter?) twelve members of "the community" are randomly selected and brought together. They meet for a few days as a Wisdom Council. Each Wisdom Council is provided with or identifies an issue of vital importance, whether solvable or not. Then the Wisdom Council meets in private where someone skilled in Dynamic Facilitation helps them engage the issue in the spirit of “choice-creating." Ultimately through shifts and breakthroughs they achieve unity on how to view this issue and how to address it. Then they present their shared perspective back to the community, along with the story of shifts and breakthroughs in getting to it. Everyone in the community or organization is invited to hear this perspective, reflect on it with others in small groups, and report his or her level of resonance. After the presentation and community conversations, generally people sense that most everyone is in sync ... "Yes, I think so too!".
Then in a few months the process repeats with a new random group, who may pick up the issue and carry it forward another step or address some new issue. Through this process the whole system of people gets involved to 1) make progress on "impossible" issues; 2) build a new public conversation; 3) establish a sense of unity; and 4) begin transforming the system toward true democracy, with "We the People" asserting its rightful and wise authority. |
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More information
1) The Wisdom Council Process? ... vs. the Citizens Assembly
2) Examples of the Wisdom Council
3) Who can use the Wisdom Council Process?
4) 12 Principles of the Wisdom Council Process
5) Special case: "Creative Insight Council" -- cheating is okay, But don't call it a "Wisdom Council"
6) Special case: "Society's Breakthrough" -- applying the Wisdom Council Process to Society
2) Examples of the Wisdom Council
3) Who can use the Wisdom Council Process?
4) 12 Principles of the Wisdom Council Process
5) Special case: "Creative Insight Council" -- cheating is okay, But don't call it a "Wisdom Council"
6) Special case: "Society's Breakthrough" -- applying the Wisdom Council Process to Society
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