Public Engagement, Citizens Uprising

There is some inspiring work taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is about public engagement and citizen participation in building a significant centre. I’m aware of it through my friend and colleague Tim Merry. It is well thought out. Involved. Quite beautiful.

The website is here. And a poem, written by Tim that focuses attention and energy on the “why” of democracy. Beautiful.

Redesigning Democracy.

Why?

Because it is already happening.

The collective voice of people is uprising everywhere. On streets, in
schools, in organizations and online. This is the age of mass
participation. The risks of not going with the flow of this moment are
high – isolation, riots, strikes, revolution, fundamentalism.

Citizens can organize themselves now. Let’s organize with them.

One age is past and a new one is uprising. The time of an isolated small
group making decisions for the benefit of the many is gone.

We are all experts.
We are all informed.
We are all connected.
We are all talking.
We do not need anyone to decide our future for us.

Let’s build our containers to make visible this collective voice.
Let build our platforms to launch it.
Let’s amplify the voice of the people to transform the leadership landscape.

Listen leaders and follow us!

We are tired of following you and finding no fulfillment of our dreams.
We know what we want and where we want to go.
The collective is the leader.
The collective has a voice.
We have voted ourselves in.

We ask that you follow in the path of our clarity and join us to make it happen.

Those in town halls, penthouse offices, parliaments, senate houses,
head quarters – notice has been served.
The invitation has been made.
The time is changing.
Join us.
Join in.

The citizens are uprising