There're many ways action will happen.
Plus of course, the people do have the vote. And yes, they may be influenced by Special Interest monies. But finally now, there is also a strong influence from legitimate expressions of the “public interest.” We’ve seen that when elected officials realize “this is what the people will be thinking” they are affected. So these Wisdom Council statements diminish the power of special interests. And there is the prospect of citizens identifying needed Constitutional changes. All of us could say, for instance, “let’s use Ranked Choice Voting so that every citizens has more choice.”
The words of Wisdom Councils bring a shared clarity for which issues are really important, what actions are needed, and for individuals, what can I do to help. Nonprofit organizations too, will step forward and say, “Oh, we've been doing this for many years. We know how to gain the involvement of many people.” … And then there's action happening from the process of thinking in Wisdom Councils. Just the fact that people like one another more now, or that they trust government more, opens the door to new kinds of action. Instead of partisan distrust, for instance, we can turn our attention away from identifying the “bad guys” to facing and solving problems. With new levels of trust and the spirit of equity, formerly necessary laws and security protocols can go away.
Breakthrough ideas emerge that reframe what’s going on so that people want to help. In one instance, citizens were fighting over a railroad right of way, can we just put in the trail? or do we have to keep both rail and trail? Back and forth, the community argued for over 20 years. But in just one unofficial, experimental Wisdom Council, there was a breakthrough. “Hey, this argument is happening largely because the issue is being decided in the Transportation Department. It’s really an issue that affects all of us. These transportation factors may not even be primary.” And they suggested … “Just put the trail now. Forfeit the state money that comes with the rail option. And then let’s keep talking and seeing what develops.” Basically, the Wisdom Council was saying this whole argument could have been avoided through a Wisdom Council Process in the community. If we do that then we are in a new System of governance, which empowers citizens to take independent actions; educates students about how democracy is supposed to work; and helps all people to learn about the issue more deeply. Many different kinds of unpredictable actions arise from a creative process, some are through government actions while others coordinate individuals.
EXAMPLE: ... Many people today are deeply concerned about the loss of "democracy" and the rise of Authoritarianism in America. The Wisdom Council Process offers a way to
- What the Wisdom Councils say. Usually when people in our System talk about action they mean “how would the law change?” Do the statements of Wisdom Councils have any weight with "policy-makers?" Remember the Wisdom Council is speaking the unanimous voice of all the people. Although this is just symbolic at first, it’s still impactful because there is no other clear voice of the “public interest.” In our System there are only special interests. And they are in competition. Even from the very beginning this voice is an anomaly.
Plus of course, the people do have the vote. And yes, they may be influenced by Special Interest monies. But finally now, there is also a strong influence from legitimate expressions of the “public interest.” We’ve seen that when elected officials realize “this is what the people will be thinking” they are affected. So these Wisdom Council statements diminish the power of special interests. And there is the prospect of citizens identifying needed Constitutional changes. All of us could say, for instance, “let’s use Ranked Choice Voting so that every citizens has more choice.”
The words of Wisdom Councils bring a shared clarity for which issues are really important, what actions are needed, and for individuals, what can I do to help. Nonprofit organizations too, will step forward and say, “Oh, we've been doing this for many years. We know how to gain the involvement of many people.” … And then there's action happening from the process of thinking in Wisdom Councils. Just the fact that people like one another more now, or that they trust government more, opens the door to new kinds of action. Instead of partisan distrust, for instance, we can turn our attention away from identifying the “bad guys” to facing and solving problems. With new levels of trust and the spirit of equity, formerly necessary laws and security protocols can go away.
Breakthrough ideas emerge that reframe what’s going on so that people want to help. In one instance, citizens were fighting over a railroad right of way, can we just put in the trail? or do we have to keep both rail and trail? Back and forth, the community argued for over 20 years. But in just one unofficial, experimental Wisdom Council, there was a breakthrough. “Hey, this argument is happening largely because the issue is being decided in the Transportation Department. It’s really an issue that affects all of us. These transportation factors may not even be primary.” And they suggested … “Just put the trail now. Forfeit the state money that comes with the rail option. And then let’s keep talking and seeing what develops.” Basically, the Wisdom Council was saying this whole argument could have been avoided through a Wisdom Council Process in the community. If we do that then we are in a new System of governance, which empowers citizens to take independent actions; educates students about how democracy is supposed to work; and helps all people to learn about the issue more deeply. Many different kinds of unpredictable actions arise from a creative process, some are through government actions while others coordinate individuals.
EXAMPLE: ... Many people today are deeply concerned about the loss of "democracy" and the rise of Authoritarianism in America. The Wisdom Council Process offers a way to
- Block the slide to authoritarianism;
- Restore and Improve the Constitutional Republic; and
- Transition our System to "Wise Democracy."