Phil Mitchell’s WorldChanging.com Post on NCDD 2008
On October 30th, Phil Mitchell wrote a great post on the WorldChanging.com blog about the 2008 NCDD Conference that included the great photo of a graphic recording created at the conference. Phil was the leader of our challenge area on moving from D&D to action.
Phil starts his post with “One of the least talked about but most far-reaching worldchanging innovations is the development of new processes of citizen-centered democracy. These processes (such as citizen assemblies) are not just solutions to specific problems; they hold out the promise of better collective decision-making in general. In this time of ultra-polarized, dysfunctional politics, such a promise is a beacon in a dark night. Yet, because most of us are focused on specific issues rather than on process itself, much of this innovation does not get noticed or used to its full potential.”
Later on in his post, Phil makes this astute comment:
“Indeed, tying dialogue and deliberation to actual political outcomes is perhaps the key challenge the field faces. The wonderful fact is that we know how to create the conditions for healthy dialogue and good collective decision-making. The sobering reality is that actually using good decision-making requires taking power away from those who currently hold it, and that is tangling with gravity.”
Visit www.worldchanging.com/archives/008934.html to see the full post.
