This page collects together links and resources for ideas and thinking around the reshaping of democratic action with the East Marsh community.  The headings reflect the main aims of the Place Based Social Action project (see ‘About’ page). Keywords: egalitarian, participatory, non-hierarchical, democractic.

East Marsh Assembly

Involve (Website) – Involve was founded in 2003 to “to create a new focus for thinking and action on the links between new forms of public participation and existing democratic institutions”. Includes useful overview of participatory methods and ‘World Cafe‘ engagement process, as well as a great jargon buster in the knowledge base.

Deliberative Democracy (Wikipedia) – a form of democracy in which deliberation is central to decision-making.

Lessons from Citizens Assembly in British Columbia (Talkshop Website) – overview of The British Columbia Citizens Assembly (BCCA), which was set up by the government of British Columbia in Canada to review the electoral system.

Citizen’s Assembly (Website) – ongoing project to explore the theory and practice of deliberative and participatory democracy in the UK. Two pilot assemblies were run in Sheffield (Assembly North) and Southampton (Assembly South) to ask how new regional powers can be established in a form that is supported by the people who live locally. There was also a Citizens’ Assembly on Brexit, which allowed members to engage in detailed, reflective and informed discussions about what the UK’s post-Brexit relations with the European Union should be.

Camden Council Climate Assembly (article) – Britain’s first climate assembly, a randomly selected panel of local people convened by the London borough of Camden to consider what can be done to confront the climate emergency.

Ireland’s Citizen’s Assembly on Abortion (Wikipedia) – The Citizens’ Assembly was established in Ireland in 2016 to consider several political questions: abortion, fixed term parliaments, referendums, population ageing, and climate change. The government was required to respond officially to the outcome.

All Hands On (Website) – “Our purpose is to help people imagine and embrace radically better democracy.” Documentary films and multimedia journalism: When Citizen’s Assemble and Welcome to the Rebellion so far.

Liquid Democracy (blog post) – a model for collective decision making in large communities with excellent discussion of direct and representative democracies.

Organisation Workshops – a concept from Brazil, and used to great effect by community groups in Hastings and Luton. Participants self-organise as an enterprise contracting work at market rates to develop new businesses or social enterprises.

The Sortition Foundation (Website) – Sortition is the use of random selection to populate assemblies or fill political positions. An assembly that uses sortition would be composed of people just like you and me: it would be a representative random sample of people, making decisions in an informed, fair and deliberative setting.

How to take over your town: the inside story of a local revolution (article) – how loosely federated Indpendents are challenging the way councils operate.

Independents for Frome (Website) – web portal for the repeatedly elected minor political party based on ideas in “flatpack democracy” by Peter Macfadyen, one of the founders and initial councillors.

Flatpack Democracy (Website) – the story of how local residents took control of their town council and an instruction manual for taking political power at a local level, then using it to enable people to have a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives.

New Economics Foundation (Website) – working to transform the economy so it works for people and the planet using original, rigorous and creative research to support policy development strategy for the new economy.

The Alternative (Website) – trying to bring about “a friendly revolution” and transform the language and practice of politics on these islands. Posts of note:

• the “Cleveland Model” of democratic local community wealth-building (short report) – how cooperatives build community wealth.
• Think enabling gardener, not machine controller: how powerful communities are shifting government mindsets (blog post) – a consideration of how a shift in focus from delivery to enablement can foster better solutions in public service.

Community Organising

Community Organisers (Website) – Community Organisers is a national charity, and the membership body and training organisation for community organising in England:

• Training Courses in the principles and practice of community organising.
• Principles of Community Organiser Practice – a guide for all those involved with community organising to understand and share the same behaviours, actions and approaches.
• Community Organising Framework – provides a map of the community organising process that starts with listening and always aims to build power through action.

People, Power and Place (report, 2019) – the report describes Community Organisers’ ambition to expand the current network of Social Action Hubs to 50 over the next five to ten years.

What is Organizing? (blog post) – discussion of community organising as building relationships, mapping out pathways of engagement and empowering leaders.

Front Porch Forum (Online Portal) – host regional networks of online neighbourhood forums: “…well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and public utilities.”

The Alternative (Website) – the site of Mauricio Miller, who provides evidenced-based alternative solution to poverty—to invest in people’s demonstrated strengths, rather than weaknesses. Includes downloadable workbook and video.  

Community Hub

Resources for community organisations (Locality Website) – Documents, including ‘Choosing a legal structure’, ‘Understanding Community Asset Transfer’, ‘Making Buildings Work for Your Community’ and ‘To Have and to Hold: Asset development for community and social enterprises’

Public-Common Partnership (PCP) – from ‘Common Wealth’ website – PCP is a strategy for co-ownership of assets between appropriate state authorities and a Commoners Association. Explanatory article here.

Commissioning

Enabling Social Action: Guidance (Government Website) – A number of text and video resources for public sector commissioners to help deliver public services. From November 2015 to August 2016 government collaborated with the New Economics Foundation to develop resources for commissioners and other public sector leaders to help them embed social action in commissioning.

Social Contract

Mangan et al (2016) 21st Century Councillor – PBSA blog post summary: https://pbsa.home.blog/2019/08/09/21st-century-councillor-2016/ 

Involve Area Forums–  Area Forums are meetings held locally, often hosted by the local council. Forums are typically comprosed of local residents, councillors, senior representatives from the local authorities, the Police, Primary Care Trusts and other key local organisations, to debate key topics and answer residents’ questions face-to-face.

Joint Working Agreements (NCVO) – document which aims to guide organisations
developing their own agreements with partners in the voluntary and community sector.

Restoration and Emergence (blog post) – conceptual musings to underpin ideas of ‘social contract’ (?)