How It Works
At the risk of boring you, here is a more specific description of You the PEOPLE. I do this in layers because we are trying to promote something that people don’t know they need to do. Most people just think that voting once in a while is enough. They need to develop the skills and self-confidence needed to be true citizen rulers. That’s why all the other republics/democracies have failed. The citizens never took their rightful place in the system. So other opportunistic people took their power and used it for themselves. Sound familiar? I have been reading “Mortal Republic” by Edward Watts. It is the story of the fall of the Roman Republic. The parallels are obvious and chilling. If history repeats, which it does, we are close - very close. We need to act now!
Problem: Every democracy/republic in history has failed. One of the primary reasons is the failure to include the citizenry. A society that is designed to be of, by, and for the people must be that or fail. The question that has plagued these efforts throughout history is how. How do you get ordinary citizens to participate regularly, rationally, and responsibly in their government and community processes? Moreover how and what kind of system do you create an institute that will get them to do this over time?
Solution: While the object is simple, the solution is difficult in that:
1. It must be voluntary
2. It must fit a wide range of human capabilities.
3. It must accommodate and fairly account for diversity.
4. It must be nonpartisan.
5. It must be self-teaching and self-policing.
6. It must focus locally as that is the only place citizens can be influential in the ongoing community/governmental activities.
2. It must fit a wide range of human capabilities.
3. It must accommodate and fairly account for diversity.
4. It must be nonpartisan.
5. It must be self-teaching and self-policing.
6. It must focus locally as that is the only place citizens can be influential in the ongoing community/governmental activities.
You the PEOPLE has developed a new process specifically designed to solve these problems. It is a group process that allows people to meet with their neighbors and work together to learn about and solve the problems of their communities in fun and easy way.
This process overcomes the two main objections people have to citizen participation: “We can’t do anything. It’s too much for one person to do.” “We don’t have the time.”
This process overcomes the two main objections people have to citizen participation: “We can’t do anything. It’s too much for one person to do.” “We don’t have the time.”
It also addresses the requisite skills and attitudes in a self-teaching group process. The group process used here stresses that citizens are primarily responsible for their own situation. The police, the fire department, the health department, etc. are there to help citizens accomplish their goals. It also spreads the duties so that each citizen can contribute and no one has to do it “all”. It is designed to create regular, rational, responsible community decision making. It make citizens a partner with their local government.
The groups’ purpose is to help average citizens forge agreeable solutions to their neighborhood problems using seven citizenship skills - cooperation, patience, fairness, respect, strength, self-improvement, and balance.
Easy homework is assigned to help people improve themselves in these seven skill areas which improves safety and security by itself. Then they practice discussing mutual problems and working out solutions in a rational and responsible manner. In this process, how a group arrives at a decision is just as important as the decision they make. This skill is essential for the long term stability of the group.
This activity does many things for a community/town/city:
1. It adds long term thinking and common sense to the process which saves lots of money.
2. They learn the skills of conflict prevention and team building which makes a safer saner community.
3. They bring problems to the surface while they are still easily and cheaply solved.
4. They recommend solutions to these problems making them part of the solution.
5. They can receive helpful information from their government and act on it quickly and widely.
6. It unifies the community by recommending widely explained coordinated common sense solutions - breaking gridlock.
7. Later they can link to each other and start to share information and workable solutions to ordinary problems and address issues of the larger community or region.
8. Gives people first-hand practice in how the representative process works, how to pick a good rep, and how they can best help it work effectively and economically.
The whole process mirrors and illustrates our Constitution so that people can start to really understand it. This is a republic, not a democracy. Power is shared.
No one gets to be the “group guru” because the leadership rotates.
There is an amendment process and a veto process.
2. They learn the skills of conflict prevention and team building which makes a safer saner community.
3. They bring problems to the surface while they are still easily and cheaply solved.
4. They recommend solutions to these problems making them part of the solution.
5. They can receive helpful information from their government and act on it quickly and widely.
6. It unifies the community by recommending widely explained coordinated common sense solutions - breaking gridlock.
7. Later they can link to each other and start to share information and workable solutions to ordinary problems and address issues of the larger community or region.
8. Gives people first-hand practice in how the representative process works, how to pick a good rep, and how they can best help it work effectively and economically.
The whole process mirrors and illustrates our Constitution so that people can start to really understand it. This is a republic, not a democracy. Power is shared.
No one gets to be the “group guru” because the leadership rotates.
There is an amendment process and a veto process.