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direct participation in direct democracyonce here, it stays
– throughout society
direct participation in direct democracy
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is competent, constructive and cooperative (example 1) INITIATIVES & REFERENDA (I&R) – are the oldest 'twins' of direct participation, basic processes of direct democracy. Initiatives bring issues into politics, people bring them in by peoples' initiatives. In mandatory referenda (peoples' referenda) people decide on them, as well as on other issues brought in, or decided upon (including laws) by the representatives (in mandatory or facultative referenda). In developed, direct democracies they are binding, direct inputs into other processes and guaranteed by citizens' full political rights. Like in today's 'democracy lab' of Switzerland – each third month, the voting envelopes come in – calling each citizen to decide on matters of the commune (city), canton, confederation and international ones. Full citizens' political rights, our forebears fought for, step by step – The first Swiss federal constitution of 1848 wrote down the right to the mandatory referendum, in 1874 added the facultative referendum, in 1891 the popular initiative. Yet, on the federal level, for men only – until 1971, when women’s rights came through the referendum at last (in 1990, the little canton Appenzell Innerrhoden has been forced to join in on the cantonal level).
(example 2)
ALL ALREADY IN
– In 2020, in my home country (the 'democracy lab' of Switzerland), some politicians, inspired by talks with colleagues, politicians abroad (and by a head of a neighbour state), proposed to introduce 'citizens' assemblies'/'conventions'.
The reaction to this proposal of another representative body which would outsource, enclose and extremely restrict the broad, lively discussion throughout the whole society:2
– We all are Citizens' Assembly! –
What to do? (example 3) CITIZENS' CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION – as we (propose to) name the ongoing processes, formal, informal, open to everyone and everything, including writing and amending constitutions, intertwined with all processes of direct democracy.3 Here's a call for FULL POLITICAL RIGTHS FOR ALL (from a simple citizen's view:) to all actually, really free citizens of Europe to demand their political rights as sovereigns.4 Also to co-write their basic common rules, their constitution(s), e.g. the EUropean one, to participate in decisions on it. And thus to share responsibility for it, same as for all things in common.5 ECC+C ↗︎ European Citizens’ Convention and Constitution ↗︎ Free Europeans, don’t leave yourselves alone! EU Convention should be made permanent and together with the EU Constitution put under citizens’ sovereignty Once upon a time, as I grew up in Switzerland (Europe), my second home, I too began to participate in approving of changes to our Federal Constitution. Nothing extraordinary, one of the most natural, almost everyday – perhaps slightly boring – things. One of our political rights as citizens. Initiating amendments to the Federal Constitution is another one of these our political rights, each of us, the Swiss, naturally has. We, the citizens, are called the Sovereign – as written in our Constitution – and so must approve of every such amendment. If we wish, we initiate changes to our Constitution – to put things into it as we see them, as we please to see them. Our representatives’ task is to make these our wishes, when accepted by the majority of voters in one of the federal referendums, into working laws. Of course, they may propose their amendments, which we, the citizens, approve – or not, as we wish. As all this keeps on going since some generations, our Constitution became a patchwork. A patchwork which I like, as all living things, that by their nature are like that – living, chaotic, and everyone’s thing. On the contrary tombstones, intended to be firm, don’t live, they just dissipate, their intended firmness becoming an illusion. Yet other, more educated, people, our representatives, politicians, and lawyers, did not like this chaotic patchwork of bumpery text and made a revised version of it. So far four times since 1848. To be elegant, and to be read smoothly. Discussed widely by interested public, and in both chambers of the Federal Parliament. Naturally, we the simple citizens had the last say in the revision, approved it in one of the obligatory binding referendums, and now go on amending this streamlined version – turning it into a patchwork again. And so we live on happily, wondering why the citizens of Europe don’t have these – most natural – rights and why on earth are they deprived of such a – most natural – participation in their very things. And wondering, why the EU Constitution has been brewed up by a handful of men, watched doing so in a Convention theatre by an audience of a selected couple of hundred. Passing on the presidential paper onto fifteen heads of states to approve it after their summer holidays. For – instead of – the millions of citizens. Amazing middle ages, to our simple Swiss ears, eyes and minds. Since a couple of generations, we do have our initiatives and referendums – our citizens’ Convention – and are Sovereign also to our Constitution. In this our permanent citizens’ Convention we keep on initiating changes to it and approving of all changes to it. So our kids will do, and their kids, and their kids, and so on. Free Europeans, do you want to leave the Swiss alone in enjoying the most natural political rights? No? So, dear co-Europeans: Why don’t you demand that the EU Convention be made permanent and together with the EU Constitution put under your, citizens’, sovereignty. You too are free and responsible citizens, aren’t you? Free Europeans, get your – natural – rights! Free Europeans, don’t leave yourselves alone!
Vladimir Rott PS – the ‚grand‘ revisions, so far: 1866, 1872, 1874, 1999 / political rights, federal level: mandatory referendum since 1848, 1874: facultative referendum added, 1891: initiative added, 1971: women’s rights (1990: the little canton Appenzell Innerrhoden forced to join in on the cantonal level) released in August 2003 through NDDIE Network for Direct Democracy in Europe – you may find some of it’s people at · citizens-initiative.eu · democracy-international.org · democratie.nu · mehr-demokratie.de · meerdemocratie.nl · referendumplatform.nl · sdnl.nl/wit-view.htm (WIT)… (same as on the page 'news & some history ■' of this site)
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in political life of representative democracies such bodies may appear under these and other names (e.g. 'Citizen' Juries' of the '70ies), not really meaning or being citizens' direct participation, in the understanding that 'participation' means an 'indirect' one (similar note on previous page)
· · · key words & theory ▲
2 broad, lively discussions in the whole (interested) society – one of the 'building blocks' of direct participation (← assess & develop · 9 'building blocks')
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direct democracy – developed representative democracy
· · · key words & theory ▲
4 as in developed democracies, like e.g. political rights ↗︎ in the 'democracy lab' of Switzerland 5 responsibility in representative systems – it's the people who bear full responsibility for all the consequences of their representatives' actions, without any participation whatsoever in them... _________ ↗︎ web search with google.ch
– currently working on the concept – building up the team –
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