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A Wisdom Council Is ComingTo Fernwood
(This article appeared in the Fernwood News, February 2008)After two successful Wisdom Councils in the City of Victoria, a
neighbourhood Wisdom Council is coming to Fernwood in March. On January 28, about thirty people participated in an information session and demonstration of the process at the Fernwood Inn. Participants were amazed at what they were able to accomplish in just half an hour.
A Wisdom Council is a powerful dialogue process involving a group of 10-
12 people who are randomly selected to represent a whole community. With the help of a specially trained Dynamic Facilitator, the Wisdom Council meets for an evening and a day to identify issues that are important to the community, discuss them in an open, respectful, and non-confrontational way, and present a statement to the community with a view to stimulating a wider dialogue.
The January 28 demonstration involved all of the 30 people who showed
up. After about 15 minutes of identifying issues, the group settled on the question, "What would make Fernwood a living example of a compassionate community?" They then spent another fifteen minutes generating ideas. As one participant put it, "Through the heartfelt thoughts and efforts of a growing group of people, the following ideas emerged as a way for this community to be a living example [of] what we hold dear."
The ideas included:
- Increasing local economic justice
- Creating better food security and having good, real food in the schools
- Increasing dialogue in the community and encouraging
- Addressing climate change
- Encouraging affordable housing and creating housing co-ops
- Using the website: http://fernwoodcommons.ca to capture ongoing dialogue
You can see the full list of ideas at http://fernwoodcommons.ca - follow
the links to "Fernwood Wisdom Council" and "Fernwood Demonstration Wisdom Council".
Participants were delighted at how much they had accomplished in just
over half an hour, with the help of Dynamic Facilitation. They had not only
produced a wealth of good ideas, they had also created a strong sense of
community and good will.
A full Wisdom Council will be held in Fernwood at the end of March 2008.
About 200 households will be sent letters offering a chance to be part of the Council.Watch your mail for an invitation to attend the selection meeting where 12 council members will be chosen by a further random draw.
We urge everyone to meet the Wisdom Council members and join the
discussion at the public meeting following the Council on Saturday, March 29 at the Fernwood Community Centre Gymnasium, 1240 Gladstone St.
For more information, seewww.wisedemocracyvictoria.com
- Caspar Davis, Dan Doherty and George Sranko
###
Articlein Fernwood Village Vibe, January 2008.
###
On July 5th, 2007, the Second Victoria Wisdom Council was featured in an Article in Peace, Earth and Justice (PEJ) News
 Tapping Into Our Collective Wisdom Victoria Wisdom Council - Can nine randomly chosen individuals agree on the issues we face today? Find out what the people of Victoria recently heard from the Second Wisdom Council… Victoria, BC – Nine Victoria citizens were brought together recently to form Victoria’s second Wisdom Council. This is an innovative process whereby randomly selected individuals from the community are professionally facilitated to have frank, respectful, and heartfelt discussions on the issues that matter most to them. At the end of a day and a half, Council members presented their unanimous statement to the people of Victoria on June 23, 2007. The Council’s statement and additional background reading is available online at www.WiseDemocracyVictoria.com. A key issue for the Council was “…how to balance individual and collective rights and responsibilities.” According to the Wisdom Council, “The future is going to be more and more challenging if we don’t recognize the long-term implications of our actions today. We need to accept and embrace that society is rapidly changing because of developments in technology. We need to manage change so that we keep the positives of the past - our humanity, family and community connection – while recognizing and benefiting from the opportunities and avoiding the pitfalls this change creates.” “Things will change for the better if we can increase public participation in government decision-making, thus reversing the current trend of less participation and apathy. We aim to put our talk to action.” “We want a government that is chosen by, accountable to, and representative of the people.” The statement provides several concrete solutions, including:
After Council members presented their statement at a community forum, members of the public were invited to sit with the Councillors to discuss the statement. The ensuing discussions were lively and animated! It became evident that engaging in democracy can be fun and energizing. We all realize that many of the issues we face as a society seem insurmountable. Many citizens live in dismay that our current democratic processes aren’t capable of creating sufficiently creative and effective solutions on a scale that the problems demand. More than ever we urgently need to develop practical approaches to tapping into our collective wisdom in creating and implementing the solutions that we know are available to us. More and more people are now convinced that we cannot continue to hope for “chosen ones” who will lead us to the Promised Land. Wisdom Councils are convened to provide a voice for the people – the ultimate authority in a democracy. We, the citizens of Victoria, of British Columbia, of Canada… and of the world are ultimately responsible for our own future, and for that of our children. The strength of the process is reflected in the fact that nine people from diverse backgrounds can come together and achieve common ground on some of the really big issues that face our society today. Video clips showing the wisdom councillors making their presentation to fellow-Victorians and answering questions is available online at www.WiseDemocracyVictoria.wetpaint.com. Innovative aspects of the process don’t end with the actual Council… the Wisdom Council’s statement and process is also creating a buzz on the Internet. Along with the statement being available online, and video clips of the Council members in action, the Forum Foundation has also prepared an Opinionnaire® or online survey to gather input from citizens everywhere on their views of the statement (see http://opn.forumfoundation.org/keylogin.php?key=iackaytech). Wise Democracy Victoria, a volunteer, non-profit, and non-partisan group of local citizens, convenes the Victoria Wisdom Councils, with seed funding provided by the Victoria Branch of the World Federalists. George Sranko Wise Democracy Victoria | ||||||
“wisdom council” event By Thomas Winterhoff News staff May 18 2007 A Greater Victoria organization called Wise Democracy Victoria had such a positive experience when it hosted its first “wisdom council” back in March that it’s decided to do it again in June. The group believes that more government policies should originate at the grassroots level with ordinary citizens, not just from politicians or special-interest groups. Wise Democracy spokesperson George Sranko says it’s vital for voters to get more involved in the democratic process by taking their concerns directly to elected officials. Sranko said the region’s first wisdom council in March was an important step in advancing that goal. “It was very exciting to have so many people, randomly selected, come together and reach a shared agreement on the really critical issues,” he said. “That was a very positive experience.” The wisdom council concept was developed by Jim Rough in Port Townsend, Washington. Several hundred residents of a particular area are selected at random from the phone book and invited to comment on issues they feel are important to their communities. Of those who respond, 12 people are selected to discuss their concerns and compile a written summary of their deliberations. The members of the wisdom council will then host a public meeting to talk about those issues with their neighbours. The goal isn’t to replace traditional political institutions, said Sranko, but to work alongside them. He noted that participants from the first wisdom council believed they were “making a difference” through that process. About 350 invitations to Wise Democracy Victoria’s second wisdom council were mailed out on Tuesday afternoon to randomly selected residents of Greater Victoria. A dozen people will be chosen from that group at a June 8 information session to form the new council and will meet June 22-23. The public session – which anyone may attend – is scheduled for June 23 at the Fairfield Activity Centre (380 Cook St.), starting at 7 p.m. For more information about Wise Democracy Victoria or to read its report on the first wisdom council, check the website at www.wisedemocracyvictoria.com. twinterhoff@vicnews.com |
Dunc Malcolm/News staff Times Colonist Published: Friday, May 18, 2007
Organizers of a grassroots democracy movement called Wise Democracy have mailed invitations to 350 people randomly invited to join the second wisdom council.
The council is modelled on the notion that randomly selected people, not politicians or bureaucrats or others with vested interests, would provide better governance.
Organizer George Sranko said people getting the invitation are invited to an information meeting on June 8 where the names of eight to 12 people in attendance will be drawn to sit on the council. Random selection is a key aspect of wisdom councils, starting with random selection of whom to invite.
The council will meet June 22-23 at the Fairfield Activity Centre, 380 Cook St.
On the web: wisedemocracyvictoria.com
Times Colonist ,
Thursday, April 05, 2007
By Carolyn Heiman
By Carolyn Heiman
Grassroots democracy takes wing
When first hearing about the Wisdom Council project, it seemed naive, idealistic, even a bit loopy. Organizers picked names from the telephone book and had 12 of them decide what the most important issue is. Then everyone went home. Canada’s first Wisdom Council was done.
The question that comes to mind is: What’s the point of this?
But 12 who met for the first and last time last weekend didn’t ask that question at all. At the end of discussion around hundreds of local, national and international issues, it sounded as if they were changing the world.
They were nothing short of passionate about the process. It gave them a voice when they felt they had none. One member called the experience the “most powerful” he had ever had. Simon Nattrass was among the 12 who didn’t toss out his invitation to the council along with pizza brochures coming through his mailbox. He was initially pessimistic, but his interest in politics led the articulate 17year-old to agree to join. He was the youngest by far; and his piercings, army boots and high school dropout status made him stand out among the group mostly in the 45-plus demographic. Saying little at the start, by the end he joined with 71-year old Gillian Sanderson to read the council’s final statement to the public. “I’d like the councils to be more frequent,” said Nattrass, adding that if enough people talk about the issues “government has to listen.” That’s the real point of the Wisdom Council exercise that’s to be repeated twice more this year, using different randomly selected people each time.
Convener Diane Wallrich said councils aren’t intended to come up with a product or solution. “This is about a process about opinion-generating and consensus-making. After that, the usual political channels apply. …Politicians are just people looking for a parade to get in front of and this helps create the parade. … It’s not revolutionary. It’s evolutionary.”
Two politicians checking out the event were Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman and Victoria MP Denise Savoie. Coleman thought the process was interesting. For one thing, the ideas emerging out of the short-lived councils have nothing to do with agendas defined by lobbyists, corporations or social agencies each with their worthwhile but vested interest.
The council also got the attention of Paul Mohapel who is on faculty at Royal Roads University. Mohapel wants to research future councils and write about the process as it might apply to developing leadership.U.S. facilitator Jim Rough, who has a company that does corporate facilitation and also runs his non-profit Centre for Wise Democracy aimed at developing Wisdom Councils, says the process is key to solving society’s collective problems. “I don’t see how our system can work if we place ourselves in special-interest silos.”
One Wisdom Council member saw the process as applicable to federal politics. Imagine, said Brian Burchill, if the Senate included randomly selected Canadians. That would provide better second sober thought than an elected body, said Burchill, who is no stranger to party politics. Burchill thinks the election process is a bit of a sham: “Politicians don’t really represent us.” Looking at voter turnout it’s easy to see why he might think that. In 2004 Canada hit a dubious record with the lowest-ever turnout in a federal election - 61 per cent. Fewer than 30 per cent of eligible voters turn out for municipal elections. Seems we don’t even send politicians loud messages at the polling booths. Wisdom Councils offer an auxiliary way to do that.
Some of the people on the first council said they don’t vote in elections and aren’t involved in other civic activity. But the council gave them a voice, they said. Their big issues touched on societal isolation, disconnection from government and our unsustainable world. It encouraged citizens to become more civically and politically engaged through public life and making connections with people.All of the council members said they were going to talk up the process to their neighbours. “I’ve told a lot people about it already,” said Sanderson, adding, “The gravevine works very well.”
Convener Diane Wallrich said councils aren’t intended to come up with a product or solution. “This is about a process about opinion-generating and consensus-making. After that, the usual political channels apply. …Politicians are just people looking for a parade to get in front of and this helps create the parade. … It’s not revolutionary. It’s evolutionary.”
Two politicians checking out the event were Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman and Victoria MP Denise Savoie. Coleman thought the process was interesting. For one thing, the ideas emerging out of the short-lived councils have nothing to do with agendas defined by lobbyists, corporations or social agencies each with their worthwhile but vested interest.
The council also got the attention of Paul Mohapel who is on faculty at Royal Roads University. Mohapel wants to research future councils and write about the process as it might apply to developing leadership.U.S. facilitator Jim Rough, who has a company that does corporate facilitation and also runs his non-profit Centre for Wise Democracy aimed at developing Wisdom Councils, says the process is key to solving society’s collective problems. “I don’t see how our system can work if we place ourselves in special-interest silos.”
One Wisdom Council member saw the process as applicable to federal politics. Imagine, said Brian Burchill, if the Senate included randomly selected Canadians. That would provide better second sober thought than an elected body, said Burchill, who is no stranger to party politics. Burchill thinks the election process is a bit of a sham: “Politicians don’t really represent us.” Looking at voter turnout it’s easy to see why he might think that. In 2004 Canada hit a dubious record with the lowest-ever turnout in a federal election - 61 per cent. Fewer than 30 per cent of eligible voters turn out for municipal elections. Seems we don’t even send politicians loud messages at the polling booths. Wisdom Councils offer an auxiliary way to do that.
Some of the people on the first council said they don’t vote in elections and aren’t involved in other civic activity. But the council gave them a voice, they said. Their big issues touched on societal isolation, disconnection from government and our unsustainable world. It encouraged citizens to become more civically and politically engaged through public life and making connections with people.All of the council members said they were going to talk up the process to their neighbours. “I’ve told a lot people about it already,” said Sanderson, adding, “The gravevine works very well.”
To view the full statement go to the website: WiseDemocracyVictoria.com
| Group urges grassroots democracy | ||||||
By Thomas Winterhoff News staff twinterhoff@vicnews.com Mar 02 2007 Power from the people praised In many democratic societies, political leadership tends to come from the upper echelons of government and then gradually works its way down to the people most affected by subsequent decisions: ordinary citizens. However, a group called Wise Democracy Victoria wants to turn that tradition on its head. WDV spokesperson George Sranko says his organization wants to see more government policies originate at the grassroots level – not just from politicians, lobbyists or special interest groups. “We think that (elected officials) aren’t really representing us to the degree that we would like them to,” says Sranko. He believes voters must get involved in forms of democratic expression beyond simply voting every few years. The primary mechanism adopted by WDV (and similar organizations in the United States, Germany and Austria) is the “wisdom council.” The concept was developed by Jim Rough in Port Townsend, Washington, and will be used in Greater Victoria for the first time this month. Residents in a particular area are selected at random from the phone book and invited to comment on issues they feel are important to their communities. Of those who respond, 12 people are selected to discuss those concerns over the course of a day and a half and compile a written summary of their deliberations. The members of the wisdom council then lead a larger public meeting, where their findings are distributed to their neighbours for further discussion. “These people read their statements and talk about their experience,” explains Sranko, adding that it’s such an “interesting and energizing” process that the council members’ enthusiasm soon rubs off on other residents. The process is similar to the Citizens’ Assembly convened by the provincial government in 2004 to examine provincial electoral reform. After several wisdom council sessions have been completed (with different participants each time), the outcome presents a fairly accurate and comprehensive survey of the specific concerns that resonate with residents of that community, Sranko says. The randomness of the selection process generally results in a group that reflects the prevailing demographics of that community, with representation from various backgrounds and age groups. “It tends to work out amazingly well…” he says. “The goal is that we get a bigger ‘public conversation’ about issues that are important to ordinary people.” Members of Wise Democracy Victoria realize they won’t transform Canada’s political establishment overnight, but believe the wisdom council model is an important forum to debate public policy at the grassroots level and ultimately influence the decisions of elected officials. “We’re very hopeful that (the two systems) would be complementary,” Sranko says. “As soon as the statements that these people issue become part of the public conversation, then we’re bringing the public agenda onto the floor to a larger degree – perhaps – than it had been.” WDV’s first wisdom council sessions are set for this month, with the public portion of the meetings scheduled for March 31. If it works here, says Sranko, the group hopes the idea will spread right across the country. “The neat thing about this process is that it’s entirely citizen-led. We’re just an ordinary group of citizens who have taken the bull by the horns.” Wise Democracy Victoria’s first “wisdom council” public meeting is scheduled for March 31 at the Fairfield New Horizons Centre (380 Cook St.), from 4-5:30 p.m. For more information about the organization, check the website wisedemocracyvictoria.com. |
© Copyright 2007 Saanich News
Dialing up random wisdom
Wisdom Council program aims to find common ground among people selected from phone book
| Carolyn Heiman | |
| Times Colonist |
Monday, March 05, 2007
|
In a process they admit is laborious, the Victoria couple is aiming to bring together a group of “average” citizens to identify issues that matter most.
Over the last few weeks they and 12 other like-minded social activists have been plucking names out of the telephone book. Not just any names, but carefully selected random names derived from computer-generated sheets identifying page numbers, columns and lines. The name of the person corresponding to the designated line is then mailed an invitation to join the first Canadian Wisdom Council.
On March 9, the Srankos will randomly draw 12 names from people willing to pursue the idea.
Jan called 20 of the randomly selected names last week to check what the response might be to the 450 letters they have already sent.
“It’s a lot harder than I thought,” Jan said after experiencing the rebuff that telemarketers are well acquainted with.
“People ask: ‘How did you get my number?’ I tell them it wasn’t easy,” referring to the tedious line-counting demanded from their “random process.”
The process was made harder because the group first used an old telephone directory and about 25 per cent of the letters were returned because people had moved.
But George isn’t discouraged by the response to date. “If there was more known about the process, more people would be interested in serving on this.” He expects momentum will grow.
The new telephone directory will “hopefully will be better at hitting the target,” said George.So far, a couple of people have agreed to be on the first Wisdom Council which is scheduled to meet on March 30 and 31. The public is invited for a wider discussion on issues and ideas on the second day.
After that it’s all over, said George. “The Wisdom Council can go home,” emphasizing the beauty of the plan is that no one has to commit more than a day or two to the common good. “They haven’t had to become career politicians.”
The process will happen about three times a year with new councils formed each time. The intention is that over time this process will build community, says a news release on the subject.
The important thing is that individuals don’t represent anyone else, any interest group, any organization or any region — although in the latter instance the Srankos are just selecting Victoria residents’ names from the phone book and instead of setting an agenda, participants will decide what to discuss.
The Srankos learned about Wisdom Councils through facilitation training George did in Port Townsend, Wash. “[Council discussions] tend to start off with surface issues” but as conversation goes on, core and common issues emerge, said George. It may seem impossible to come to an agreement on common issues, he added, but “these groups can come together, and they do all the time. We probably agree on 90 per cent of things in general and maybe disagree with 10 per cent … Once we find common ground we can find an integrated solution.”
He gives as a simple example about two people in the same room wanting different things. One likes fresh air and opens a window. The second finds it drafty. “An integrated solution would be to open a window in another room,” said George. “It’s about creating choice where you think there are no choices.”
George said he thinks government representatives do the best job they can, “but today’s issues are so much more complex and it is hard to represent a wide body of constituents with diverse views.”
Nor do polls help solidify issues, because “you often write the question based on the answer you want … it is not based on a thoughtful collaborative process.”
To learn more, go to the group’s website: wisedemocracyvictoria.com
The first Wisdom Council will be held at the Fairfield New Horizons Centre, 380 Cook St. The public portion begins at 4 p.m. on March 31.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007
By Amanda Farrell
Monday Magazine
Nov 08 2006
Wise Democracy focusses on wisdom councils
With the exception of the majority of politicians occupying positions of power-and perhaps a few important people who have the ears of said politicians-it’s safe to say most Canadians are somewhat disaffected with our political process. The folks at Wise Democracy Victoria certainly count themselves in that group, only they’ve decided to go a step beyond complaining about it over a cup of coffee. The group will be hosting a weekend workshop on wisdom councils, an innovative form of political representation that uses random selection.
“We saw some real potential for changing the way we look at democracy and we all feel, within our group, a strong level of frustration and disempowerment with our current approach to democracy,” says George Sranko, a member of WDV.
Wisdom councils are composed of a dozen randomly selected citizens who have no set agenda; they spend a couple of days discussing an issue and coming to a consensus on it. The session is moderated by a dynamic facilitator, who is trained in methods of helping diverse groups talk about issues and reach consensus. The wisdom council then releases its statement to the public and dissolves. A few months later, the process starts all over again with new people.
“They’re sort of a fractal approach to society. They’re not representative; in fact it’s important that each of them come as an individual as opposed to being spokespeople for anybody other than themselves,” says Caspar Davis of WDV. “Since they’re ephemeral, they’re almost immune from pressure groups and lobbying and that sort of thing.”
The event this weekend starts with an introduction to wisdom councils presented by two of their leading advocates, Tom Atlee and Jim Rough, on Friday night. A day-long workshop will be held Saturday for people interested in learning more about wisdom councils and forming one in Victoria next year.
But even if Greater Victoria does end up with a wisdom council, who’s to say its message will be heeded or even heard?
“Obviously for it to work the way it’s intended to, it relies to a certain extent on the media to publicize what happens,” says Davis, who adds that NDP MP Denise Savoie and Esquimalt councillor Jane Sterk have indicated interest in setting up similar forums to hear from their constituents, which may help add fuel to the wisdom council fire.
Sranko, however, thinks the process itself will make people interested in the outcome of the wisdom councils.
“It’s quite an innovative process, and hopefully there would be enough interest around the fact that here’s a way of getting a democratic representation of what the people want to talk about,” he says.
The Wise Democracy Forum “Introducing Wisdom Councils” happens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 10, in room 159 of UVic’s Fraser Building. Admission is by donation. The forum will be followed by a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. workshop on wisdom councils on Saturday, November 11. For more information call 598-0124 or visit www.wisedemocracyvictoria.com.
© Copyright 2006 Monday Magazine
Article’s URL: http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals/monday/
