Manifesto
A better democratic future is possible
We believe that a different and better democratic future is possible. For too long we have taken democracy for granted and neglected to renew it. There is a great task ahead of us to develop democracy
– to preserve it for the next generations.
We have taken democracy for granted for too long. We have neglected to renew and adapt it to a new world where we create robust and long-lasting solutions together with citizens. We have forgotten that democracy’s answer to the biggest problems facing the planet and society is all of us.
We can only solve today’s biggest challenges in a well-functioning democracy, where solutions are something we create together. This requires that we abandon the notion of democracy as a ready-made design and only for a select few. And it requires that we give the initiative and the power to act back to those who will live the solutions and rethink the way we manage democracy between system and citizens.
The democratic system is something we have created, and therefore we also have the opportunity to recreate it anew. But to ensure resilience in democracy, we must dare to break new ground and learn from democratic experiments around the world. We have done it before. And we can do it again.
We have set out 10 guiding principles in our manifesto for a better democratic future. These are the principles we work for ourselves and we invite everyone else to help put them into practice in everyday life. We hope that you will read it and join in renewing democracy – both as a form of governing and a form of life.
Our principles for a better democratic future:
01_ From spectator sport to participatory democracy
Democracy only thrives when we are all invited to participate. Citizens should be moved from the periphery to the center of power and activated as a unique resource in society.
02_ Represent and be represented
Representation should be dynamic, open and based on continuous rotation. Far more people must be involved in representing and not just being represented.
03_ Open democracy requires radical transparency
When decisions are made in the open and when the movements of power are visible and traceable, we improve trust and legitimacy to affect the decisions that form our lives.
04_ Good lives are driven by participation
Everyone should freely be able to join the public conversation. Being an active part of a community, built on trust, commit-ment and security for the individual, improves quality of life.
05_ Democracy is something we practice
Participating in democracy requires muscle in the form of skills and self-confidence. We must exercise our democratic muscles in all areas throughout life.
06_ Those who will live with the solutions must own them
Citizens are the core and the canaries of democracy. We react when decisions are made in oxygen-deprived spaces and when we are treated as an afterthought in solutions – rather than being activated as resources for good decisions.
07_ Many hands make light work
We believe in a participation-driven democracy, where we ensure broad and in-depth consultation across society on an informed basis.
08_ Listen louder and broader
A viable democracy must be measured by its ability to activate all voices in the solutions – including those who do not have a voice. The future, nature and the climate must be given a natural place in our decision-making space.
09_ Local is the new global
The key to cohesion and social entrepreneurship lies at the local level. Far too little will happen if we wait for those in charge.
10_ A better democratic future is possible
Our task is to act in the awareness of an open future, where a better democratic future is created by activating our collective imagination. The result can be something we could not have imagined.
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