Best course of action is to involve public; Putting constituents' interests behind those of party must stop

Times Colonist (December 26, 2010)
By George Sranko, Special to Times Colonist

Public anger and resentment are growing worldwide against the political elite.

Politicians and corporate leaders have been unable to resolve global economic crises and spreading unemployment. Hundreds of billions in tax dollars continue to pour in to private banks and corporate bailouts. Billions more go into questionable military adventures with only minority public support.

Many people are questioning whether democracy as we know it is up to dealing with these challenges. There's a creeping malaise in Western liberal democracies. Today's hyper-partisan politics are creating a party-focused system with politicians consistently putting the interests of their parties ahead of the interests of their constituents and the public trust.

Consider the disrepute the B.C. Liberals have engineered for themselves with their shady harmonized sales tax tactics and B.C. Rail coverup. Look at the shenanigans by the unelected Senate, which killed the climate change accountability act in a surprise vote without debate, a move many Canadians considered an affront to democracy.

Fortunately, wiser forms of democracy are beginning to emerge, providing citizens with meaningful opportunities to participate in political decision-making. For example, the government of Iceland has initiated a constitutional assembly that is considering suggestions put forward by 1,000 randomly chosen citizens. The expectation is that the assembly will radically alter the contract between citizen and state.

In Austria, the Office of Future Related Issues has introduced an innovative public participation strategy whereby councils of randomly selected citizens are being convened to address key issues. In the city of Bregenz, 12 citizens were asked to consider a controversial development proposal. The group achieved a breakthrough and realized that the project offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to link the city more closely with the lakefront, enhancing the city and saving the developers money.

When the citizens' council made its presentation, everyone was surprised by the elegance of the solution. The principal investor who had been working on the project for two years said, "We had been looking at the trees and had not seen the forest."

In Victoria, a group of citizen-volunteers under the banner of Wise Democracy Victoria has convened three councils of randomly selected members since 2007. In each case, council members achieved a unanimous "public interest" perspective, rather than one predetermined by government or special interests.

In 2010, the group helped the City of Victoria convene two such councils to provide citizen input on revisions to the official community plan. Participants indicate that their experience was transforming and energizing because they felt their voices could actually make a difference.

Underlying each of these councils and assemblies is a fundamental premise: In our modern world of increasingly diverse interests, well-funded lobbyists, and hyper-partisan politics, the best way to achieve a legitimate reading of the public interest is to involve citizens directly in a meaningful way.

We desperately need new and innovative tools and traditions to enhance and leverage our democratic systems and institutions.

Fortunately, such innovations exist. We have the skills and techniques to facilitate breakthrough conversations that go beyond traditional dialogue and deliberation.

There are two key ingredients: direct involvement by a representative cross-section of the entire community, province, or nation through random selection of citizens; and dynamic facilitation that empowers the group to reach a unified perspective via creative shifts and breakthroughs, rather than through the usual back-and-forth negotiation.

Exercises in collaborative democracy are underway around the globe, demonstrating the capacity of randomly selected citizen councils to provide breakthrough solutions that are up to the task of addressing the difficult challenges we face.

In Vorarlberg, Austria, for example, a state-wide citizens' council is planned for March 2011 to consider the controversial and divisive issue of migrants and their integration.

Imagine the creative possibilities and fiscal choices that may have emerged regarding Victoria's Blue Bridge if only we had received input from a randomly selected citizens' council early in the process.
When democracy falters who should you call? The people, of course.

George Sranko is a founding member and director of Wise Democracy Victoria and an associate with the international Center for Wise Democracy. He has a master's degree in collaborative governance and is a qualified dynamic facilitator.