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 The Wisdom Council Process can facilitate the people of a city or community to get involved, face and solve hot public issues. And in the process ... to build a new spirit of community, understanding and trust in government. This process can be initiated by governments, like in Austria. But may be better initiated by just a citizen group for various governments and agency. If the citizens group sets up on an ongoing Wisdom Council Process, then the public conversation can consider issues that the City, County, Health Department, Port or Schools are facing. (They can ask the citizen group to consider their issue.) ... Or, the Rotary Club, Kiwanis, or just individual citizens can bring forward issues that are concerning, like certain discrimination issues, or fears about global issues, etc. Key is for there to be an ongoing creative, collaborative conversation of "We the People" of the community, where "We"  provide direction to elected leaders and to the community at large.

Setting up a Wisdom Council Process offers a way for a citizens group to ..
  • Shift the public conversation away from argument to collaboration ... especially on hot issues like Covid
  • Help citizens understand complex issues and the various possible responses to those issues
  • Spark meaningful involvement from all citizens ... where "we" make things happen
  • Realize breakthrough solutions to impossible-seeming issues ... and build public support for them
  • Generate new levels of trust in government and one another ...
  • Help elected officials and staff feel greater levels of citizen support  ... 
And as the process gets going it necessarily will 
  • Empower citizens to a new level of "We the People" capability, taking on the responsibility of leadership to the government, institutions and culture.
HOW IT CAN HAPPEN IN YOUR COMMUNITY (see the example from Santa Cruz county)
  1. Build a small cadre of people who understand this new-paradigm approach. Things usually begin with the 3-day “Dynamic Facilitation, choice-creating and the Wisdom Council” seminar held in your community. This seminar, which has been taught to rave reviews all over the world, provides new-paradigm understandings about modes of thinking, facilitation and approaches to whole-system change. In the seminar participants will learn and practice Dynamic Facilitation on issues they care about ... and make a plan. . The skills are vital leadership competencies, helping people face and solve seemingly impossible issues through shifts and breakthroughs. They can be applied to ones personal life, work life, and to “community democracy.”
  2. Build a small pool of DF'ers. Often local participants who attend the seminars will choose to keep meeting, further developing their DF skills. This can provide community organizations with new and better meetings. It's a way to build community awareness about the desired quality of thinking ... especially the shift from "decision-making" to “choice-creating.”.
  3. Conduct a series of Community Wisdom Councils. At some point this DF'er community can work with the local government or a Community Foundation to convene Wisdom Councils on different issues. 
  4. Facilitate “Community Democracy.” When Wisdom Councils are held regularly, every four months or so, this process establishes a new kind of public conversation, where citizens become more informed and involved, and where a legitimate “We the People” forms to provide clear direction to community leaders. 

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