Oliver Escobar was raised in a country governed by a dictatorship. Now he is making a life work in democratic research, teaching, and advocacy. He says many or most of our democracies are very underdeveloped. They focus on just a few practices, elections and party politics, which are important but very limited aspects of democratic life. That underdevelopment may have played a role in bringing about what is now a time of great upheaval. That upheaval might in turn serve up an opportunity for renewal.
Peter Pula
Reclaiming Our Capacity to Create the World We Inhabit is Democracy in its Deepest Form
What's the point? Why is it important to deepen democracy? What does it mean to deepen democracy?
What deepening democracy does not mean is tinkering with electoral politics. Turn away from this in your thoughts before continuing. Put it behind you. Never mind left and right, liberal and conservative, democrat and republican. Forget for now the stories liberal humanism and global capitalism proffer. Press all that noise and distraction, the sturm and drang, the circus and its players, the side shows and arcades beyond the horizon of your periphery.
All this is escape, abstraction, excuse. Frenetic, restless, immovable. Exhausting. Diminishing. Disempowering. Far Away. Untouchable. Unreachable. Let's stop wasting our wild and precious lives there.
Beyond all that is a field. Let's meet there. Take a deep breath.
Twitter Feed
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1 day 24 min agoRT @CormacRussell: All genuinely deliberative & participative processes have 3 core features: 1) Consent, ppl show up by choice not ob… https://t.co/v8utv9NVsg -
1 day 25 min agoRT @CormacRussell: Growing Community Power through Community Poo | Neighbourhood Democracy Movement: “ACROSS THE AREA, WE DISCOVERED T… https://t.co/7IzzhXStuB
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1 day 10 hours ago@carrinag @ImmyKaur @AxiomNews @ShirishMM It would most definitely fit like a glove :) -
1 day 11 hours ago@carrinag @ImmyKaur @AxiomNews @angelafell Would love to if I can? @ImmyKaur do feel free to DM. I might be able to help or (more likely) might know someone who’d be much better than me. -
1 day 12 hours ago@ImmyKaur I wonder if any of the #generativejournalism crew could help out @AxiomNews @angelafell @ShirishMM what do you think? -
1 day 21 hours ago@journeyswithem @whatsondevon @DoseofNature1 @placesofpoetry @ChoiceCreate @AxiomNews @wikipolitiki @riverkeeper 2/2 *Isabel Carlisle (UK) is Regenerative Communities Network Summit host along with *Melina Angel (Colombia Regenerativa); *Ben Roberts (Connecticut River Valley Bioregional Collaborative). They are all also members of the #RCN Global Council. https://t.co/yo9YmUFDXP -
1 day 21 hours ago@journeyswithem @whatsondevon @DoseofNature1 @placesofpoetry @ChoiceCreate @AxiomNews @wikipolitiki @riverkeeper The Regenerative Communities Network #RCN is hosting a summit from October 24 - November 4, to grow the movement for bioregional scale regeneration. #IsabelCarlisle (Bioregional Learning Center UK) is one of the RCN hosts for this Summit https://t.co/AGnAk68inE
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1 day 21 hours ago@journeyswithem @whatsondevon @DoseofNature1 @placesofpoetry @ChoiceCreate @AxiomNews @wikipolitiki @riverkeeper #BLC is the brain-child of #IsabelCarlisle and, since it’s formation in 2017, the team has been growing into a multi-skilled and passionate group of people who are all deeply committed to protect and improve the South #Devon #Bioregion and others all around the world…"
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1 day 21 hours ago@journeyswithem @whatsondevon @DoseofNature1 @placesofpoetry @ChoiceCreate @AxiomNews @wikipolitiki @riverkeeper 6/6 #DartRiver #Manifesto • Respectful, agreed access along this sacred length of the river, from Staverton Weir to Totnes Weir, where we enjoy the water, both in, on and beside it. https://t.co/MdIYKSI9Ti
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1 day 21 hours ago@journeyswithem @whatsondevon @DoseofNature1 @placesofpoetry @ChoiceCreate @AxiomNews @wikipolitiki @riverkeeper 5/6 particularly the oaks that give the #DART its name, and the stability of their roots. • A cherished river that enhances our mental and physical wellbeing, provides tranquility, beauty and memories – now and for future generations....
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