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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
Summary |
Citizens Assemblies are interventions in the field of "deliberative democracy," aimed at improved decision-making within a Constitutional Republic. This social innovation involves a mini-public of random citizens studying a difficult issue, weighing options and voting to identify which option is best. Hopefully, this influences legislators in their policymaking. |
The Wisdom Council Process is primarily aimed at shifting the System from a Republic to a real democracy (i.e. "Wise Democracy") by adding the missing "We the People" conversation. A series of mini-publics are dynamically facilitated to address difficult issues, reach unified views, and present reflections to the general public. At first this restores and improves the Republic, but eventually generates a new ultimate authority for the nation, "We the People." |
What is it? |
A mini-public intervention, where 50-200 random people meet for an extended period of time to learn about a chosen issue, deliberate options, vote, and make recommendations to those in charge. This group is given a well-defined problem, unbiased information, and a set of possible options. A neutral moderator helps participants weigh the options in small groups, vote, and present the final recommendations. |
A system of governance generated from an ongoing series of mini-publics. Each Wisdom Council is newly formed with only 10-16 randomly selected people. They meet for about two days. Dynamic Facilitation is used so the group can address "Monster Problems," ill-defined, impossible-seeming societal issues, and co-determine unified conclusions. Each Wisdom Council presents its perspective to the public as a reflection of what we "all" are saying, stimulating an ongoing creative, We the People conversation. |
What's the purpose? |
To make better policy by helping decision-makers know which option the citizenry would want if they became better informed and had the chance to talk things through. Ideally, this information affects decision-makers, who may be elected officials or voters. |
To involve everyone in solving society's most impossible-seeming problems through shifts and breakthroughs, and to facilitate into being a new System of "Wise Democracy" by adding the missing "We the People" conversation. |
Who sets this up? |
Usually the government. This way funding is provided for what can be an expensive process. And it assures that elected officials will hear. |
The Wisdom Council Process is best convened by a well funded, well-meaning, non-partisan, non-governmental group because government is a servant of "We the People," not the other way around. |
What kind of thinking? |
Deliberation. The aim is to help both citizens and representatives be well informed, deliberative, rational and less emotional in weighing options and deciding what's best. |
Choice-creating. The aim is for people to address the impossible problems in a way that is heartfelt, creative and collaborative, where shifts and breakthroughs are normal. The ultimate choice and group unity are co-created. |
Who is the facilitator? |
A neutral, well-informed moderator guides people on a step-by-step journey to good decision-making, which may include moments of dialogue, analysis, discussions, deliberation, and voting. |
Someone skilled in Dynamic Facilitation helps the group engage the issue and one another in the spirit of "choice-creating”. Ongoing Wisdom Councils facilitate whole-system choice-creating. |
How are the random people determined? |
It's a stratified random selection. Because this is a one-time intervention the group needs to be big enough to include all major parts of the population. |
Each time it's a pure random sample. Because this is an ongoing series of groups, over time all portions of the population participate in proportion to their presence in the population. |
Who is the primary audience? |
Decision-makers. The assembly votes on RECOMMENDATIONS to the decision-makers. |
The general public. The conclusion of each Wisdom Council is a REFLECTION of what we are all thinking and feeling. |
What are the results? |
Better policy decisions. This helps to limit the power of special interests, educates the general public and provides more power to the public will. |
This series of mini-publics establishes a creative collaborative public conversation, where a near unified perspective emerges. BIG problems get solved. And in time a new ultimate authority arises, "We the People," and a new System of "Wise Democracy." The new System has many benefits: greater individual freedom, spirit of community, meaningful jobs, collective intelligence and more. |
Example of use ... |
In 2004 in British Columbia, 153 random citizens met monthly over a year to investigate how best to hold elections. Different options were presented to the Citizens Assembly and after careful deliberations a vote was ultimately taken. 146 to 7 the Citizens Assembly recommended that a “single transferable vote” (i.e. ranked order voting) system be adopted. Then there was a public referendum on the issue, which required 60% of the vote. Despite overwhelming support within the Assembly, the media treated the issue with false equivalency. There was not enough support for the action to pass. |
Mauthausen example ... Near Mauthausen, Austria, are the ruins of a large NAZI concentration camp. Many locals were glad it was falling down and wanted it to be forgotten—but three Wisdom Councils were convened. Young people especially were exclaiming, “We are finally talking about this!” and “Now the healing can begin.” The results included a unified position that “we need to protect this memorial” and “for it to become a Center for Human Rights education.” From this abbreviated Wisdom Council process the three local communities established bi-annual Human Rights conferences held at the War memorial. |
How might this be used to address global issues like climate change? |
Citizens Assemblies have been used at local, national and global levels on the issue of climate change. This builds interest, knowledge and momentum for policy measures at the national and local levels. But there are no official global "decision-makers" to act on recommendations. |
A few people with adequate resources can initiate a global Wisdom Council Process. See "The ToBe Project--global." Key is to facilitate “one ongoing global choice-creating conversation” where all the people get involved, face the issue and come to shared perspectives. This "We the People" can wisely steward humanity and the biosphere. |
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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