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A few aspiring assembly organisers I’ve spoken too have discussed the idea that a people’s assembly could stand independent candidates in elections. Is this a good idea? My personal opinion is that it’s better to wait and see where the assembly goes when you start it, and only make the decision about whether to stand…
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One drawback with randomly-selected citizens’ assemblies is the cost. According to Involve, it costs £150,000 – £750,000 to run a citizens’ assembly in the UK, roughly $200,000 – $1 million. Perhaps if citizens’ assemblies become more common, an economies of scale effect will make the process cheaper. But for now, it’s expensive. A cheaper alternative…
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Western England is often associated with rural life and retirement, but it also has a number of quirky towns with a bohemian, independent atmosphere, such as Glastonbury, Totnes and Stroud. And then there’s Frome (read: “froom”), an attractive medium-sized town in Somerset. During a brief stopover there last year, I was struck by how friendly…
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This is the second of what’s really a two-part post. In my previous post, I discussed the wider need for assembly democracy in the world. This one is about the more direct benefits of a people’s assembly in your local area, and why you should start one. As discussed in my first post, a people’s…
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In my previous and first post, I explained what a people’s assembly is. This is the first of a two-part post in which I discuss why we need them. This first part discusses the problems that lead us there in order to understand the broad argument for assembly democracy. The second will discuss the benefits…
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My New Year’s Resolution has been to start a people’s assembly in my local area, and I’ve started this blog to document how the project fares. The idea is simple: residents are invited to gather to debate an issue that matters to them, in a way that encourages them to find common ground, like a…
Assembly Project 