Grassroots to Global: re-democratising democracy, reclaiming our world.
We can’t solve our crises using the same way of thinking that created them.
We aim to help enable real systemic change
starting by creating democratic spaces
for all kinds of people to learn, listen,
use their imaginations,
connect experiences and issues and
rebuild trust in ourselves and each other.
Our current system is responsible for dizzying inequalities in wealth and opportunity, resulting in the suffering of billions.
It is impacting on essential earth systems to the point that they are breaking down. We know that we are now on, near, or past our last chance to address this.
COVID-19 gave the world a shared experience of our power and ability to transform our lives overnight.
The many harsh impacts of the virus itself and of botched lockdowns in the context of intensifying inequality, did not obscure the glimpse we all got of how different our world could and should be.
Our goal is to HELP collectively create decision making processes that are compelling, fair, transparent, morally legitimate, emotionally intelligent, decolonised and culturally diverse.
How?
Phase 1.
LISTENING
Engaged Listening: Exploring other emergencies; rebuilding trust.
Individual conversations between people across difference. Where we put aside our own issues and really listen with curiosity, civility and empathy to what others have to say - genuinely trying to understand why they think the way they do.
As part of this we spoke to over 100 people over lockdown in Scotland. Read what they had to say here.
Phase 2.
Meeting
Peoples’ Assemblies: Collectively learning how to make good decisions.
In Scotland, we are supporting and collaborating with people around the country to build bottom-up Peoples Assemblies both locally and nationally.
Internationally, we are connecting with people in many countries, and especially in East Africa, to learn together how different democratic processes rooted in real humanity work with different kinds of communities.
If you want to get involved in this work, please get in touch.
Phase 3.
Proposing
Global Peoples’ Assemblies: Gathering momentum to enable connection globally.
In May 2021 we kicked off an international process working to grow a new way of doing politics.
In May 2021 we held our first ‘Reworlding’ Gathering, our Sunset Assembly happened just before the COP26 UN Climate Negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2023 we held a second Reworlding gathering, and our 2024 focus includes connecting movements in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
Phase 4.
Deciding
Taking our stand: Working with others to co-create a powerful motor for change with a Global Citizens Assembly process that is not captured by vested interests
We are working with others on deep, broad and diverse preparatory processes that can work towards a bottom-up Global ‘Citizens’ Assembly process, meeting to make the decisions that governments, corporations and global bodies are inherently incapable of understanding need to be made.
