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In the field of Democracy Innovations mini-publics play an important role. This is where a small group of citizens meet to help the whole system of people think through important issues. Most of these are "Deliberative Councils" like The "Citizens Assembly" (or "People's Assembly"), the "Citizens Jury" or "Deliberative Polling". In particular the Citizens Assembly is gaining great momentum throughout the world in "democracies," being used to spark better policy decisions. The "Wisdom Council Process" is a mini public and seems similar to these deliberative mini-publics. But no. It is quite different. One is about improving the current System. The other is about transforming the System as the chart below illustrates.
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1) Comparing the Citizens Assembly and the Wisdom Council Process
Download the chart as a pdf file:
What is it? |
This is a large form of mini-public (50-200 random people), which meets over a period of time long enough for a group of random people to learn about the issue and deliberate the options. It’s possibly a few months or a weekend a month for a year. This group is given a well-defined problem, unbiased information and a set of possible options. A moderator helps participants deliberate the issue and weigh the options in small groups, vote and present final results to decision-makers in a live ceremony. This process can get key legislation to happen, improves the relationship of government to citizens and orients politics to be more deliberative. |
This is an ongoing series of different small mini-publics of just 8-16 random people. They meet for only two or three days with someone skilled in Dynamic Facilitation. This allows them to face ill-defined, impossible-seeming issues and achieve unified conclusions quickly. Then this group presents its shared perspective back to “the people” as a reflection of what we are all thinking, with the intent of stimulating a creative collaborative conversation where a new entity, “We the People” arises to provide responsible leadership to government. While policy changes arise more primarily the aim is to facilitate the citizens to face and solve key issues, to build the spirit of empowerment and transform the system. (e.g. from a constitutional republic to a “wise democracy.”) |
What’s the purpose? |
To make better policy by expressing the well-considered public judgment on a difficult issue to decision-makers. Also to improve the level of reasoning among decision-makers and the public in general. |
To facilitate all to address and solve the biggest issues. And in the process, to transform the underlying structure of the current System from what is called "democracy" to actual democracy, or "wise democracy." |
Who sets this up? |
Usually the government, especially if elected officials will commit ahead of time to listen or maybe to allow a public vote. |
Best is if a non-governmental organization sets up the process with the interest and support of governments. |
Who is the audience? |
… Decision-makers. Recommendations are provided to elected leaders and policy makers. |
… The general public. The process facilitates all to get involved in the ongoing "We the People" conversation where shared perspectives evolve. |
What results from the meetings? |
… a set of recommendations is voted on and presented to decision makers. Or, since there is a large number of participants some group edits the results of different small groups to bring together a shared statement. Decision-makers are influenced but can comply or not. |
... shared clarity on what is going on, what we all want, and what’s the best path forward; a widespread feeling of empowerment and meaningful connection to a growing community of people; and an evolving new system of thinking seeking unity, which transcends the usual partisan battling. |
What kind of thinking? |
Deliberation … people seek to be unemotional, detached, informed and rational in assessing the situation and weighing the options. They influence one another in rational discussion, debate and dialogue. Political scientists are particularly interested in this form of thinking. (See the chart comparing Decision-making vs. Choice-creating) |
Choice-creating … This is the magic sauce. Rather than encouraging people to be more reasonable, this process works with feelings, helping people to talk naturally while the dynamic facilitator assures that all comments are heard by the group and diverse views are appreciated because they make shifts and breakthroughs possible where shared perspectives are the natural result. |
Who is the facilitator? |
... a neutral moderator guides people on a step-by-step journey to “decision-making,” which may include dialogue, analysis, discussions, deliberation and voting. Sometimes Dynamic Facilitation is used to reach unified conclusions |
... someone skilled in Dynamic Facilitation reliably evokes the spirit of “choice-creating” in each Wisdom Council. Because choice-creating generates resonance with the larger community ongoing Wisdom Councils "dynamically facilitate” a similar spirit throughout the System. |
What changes result from the process? |
The end result of a Citizens Assembly is a recommendation to those who make policy. Policy improvements are a natural result. Also the Assembly generates widespread interest in and greater understanding of difficult issues. They improve the decision-making processes of both elected officials and the general public. |
The end result of each Wisdom Council is a reflection, not a proposal. Change happens through 1) the larger population helping to co-create a shared perspective, which leads to both distributed and collective actions (possibly including policy changes); 2) a new kind of collaborative political conversation, which considers unintended consequences and builds the spirit of community; 3) a new political entity, “We the People,” capable of assuming ultimate responsibility. |
Examples |
The first ever Citizens Assembly was in British Columbia, Canada where 153 random citizens met monthly over a year to investigate how best to hold elections. Different election methodologies were considered and a vote was ultimately taken. 146 to 7 they recommended “single transferable vote” over “majority rule vote.” As promised by the legislature there was a public referendum on the issue. Before the referendum the media conducted a typical pro vs. con battle among the general population where the proposal was ultimately rejected. ($5 million cost) |
In Santa Cruz county, CA, a citizen group sponsored a 1.5 day (one time) Wisdom Council on the 10-year old HOT issue of … “what to do with the old rail corridor?” … “keep it just a trail” or “make it a rail and trail”. The WC conclusion was, “We haven’t started talking yet! This should not be an issue battled out through the county transportation committee. The whole community needs to get involved to create a shared vision.” (The cost for one WC can be $10,000 or less, but the process should be ongoing, maybe monthly.) |
How might this be used to address climate change? |
Citizens Assemblies can be used at the city, national or state levels on the issue of climate change to build interest, knowledge and momentum for policy measures at those levels. But climate change is fundamentally a global issue where there is no “decision maker”. However, there has already been a "Global Citizens Assembly" on climate change conducted among 100 random global citizens via Zoom, where a statement of conclusions was shared to the UN and to the COP gathering. |
A few people with adequate resources can initiate a global Wisdom Council Process. The aim is to facilitate one ongoing global choice-creating conversation among all the people to help them get involved, face the issue, own the problem and come to shared clarity about what's the real situation and what "We" should do about it. This process isn't aimed at some global governance, but is establishing global governance so the issue can be managed. |
In Sum ... |
Citizens Assemblies are interventions aimed at improving decision-making within the existing System (ie. “representative democracy” or “constitutional democracy” or “democratic republic.”) This social innovation is increasingly accepted by legislators and citizens in different countries because their conclusions positively influence policy makers beyond normal politics. |
The Wisdom Council Process is a structural change to the existing System. To the extent that many people get involved in the new “We the People” conversation, a new hierarchy emerges. And a new quality of politics where we all creatively face the big impossible-seeming problems together, creatively seeking answers that work for all. Today, this new organizational structure, i.e. “Wise Democracy,” is vitally needed. |
2) In the short video below the Wisdom Council Process is referred to as the Bürgerräte (or "Citizens Council") vs. the Citizens Assembly.
Other resources
- Episode #34 of “Facilitating Public Deliberations”, where Jim Rough is interviewed by Dr. Lyn Carson, Director of Research at the New Democracy Foundation in Australia. Jim describes how the Wisdom Council Process is distinct from "Deliberative Democracy".
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