Questions and follow up from 'Taking Power at a local Level' Jan 21st webinar.

What initial throughts do people have on how we can best support the independants What initial throughts do people have on how we can best support the independants (specifically flatpackers) with our network of trained neutral facilitators and trainer trainers. Also looks like a concept we're developing is 'community assemblies' - wondering if people have thoughts or resources on this concept - and if people have thoughts or visions on connections between community assemblies and flat pack.

When using assemblies in flatpack and councils; Is there a random selection process for participation in the community assemblies or is the venue organised so that everyone gets invited and can turn up and get involved? Also Is there a process/ strategy for diversity of participants?

No. These are Peoples' assemblies not Citizens' Assemblies........ they don't have power as such, so the need for organised diversification is not so clear 9though clealry desirable)

From karunatharmananthar to Everyone: (07:21 pm on the webinar)

Somerset West and Taunton is a district Council which is dominated by mainstream parties - this then leaves Parish Councils - Taunton does not have a Parish or Town Council.  So this means having to compete with the usual main party candidates?  What can be done here?

Taunton people can set in motion a process to ask for a Town Council. Thats what Democracy for Bexhill have just done (https://www.democracy4bexhill.com/) .... th eprocess itself will engender considerable engagement and is an opportunity for People's assemblies and other deomcractic interventions.... that in itself may be worth doing?

From Kelsey to Everyone: (08:43 pm webinar)

there's some handy stories in this plus handy videos at the bottom including interview with Danish alternative https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2018/04/17/adventures-in-democracy

From Greg’s  to Everyone: (08:52 pm webinar)

 email [email protected] to get involved with spreading deliberative democracy and reclaiming people power

Great zoom session yesterday thanks all.

A bit frustrated with the Somerset County and West Somerset & Taunton Councils. Both have declared climate emergencies, set out to become carbon neutral by 2030 and are consulting on the strategy. All good. But get the feeling they are simply going through the motion and not fully engaging the public - definitely not co- designing the interventions and seem unwilling to consider and debate necessary but radical interventions. Where next?

I've taken all non answered comments from the session last night and put them in above, with answers. The links in chat last night are below:
Peter’s blog (and link to Ecologic Books to buy Flatpack Democracy)
https://www.flatpackdemocracy.co.uk/

Peter and Gail Bradbook on Democracy
https://renegadeinc.com/our-spectator-democracy-costs-the-earth/

Principles of ‘Flatpackery’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcrL5I1jovU&feature=youtu.be

Here is the recording from last night. It is unedited so you can simply skip through the 30 min breakout part. https://zoom.us/rec/play/tJIoI7ipqD83E4fA4gSDVvJ_W9TvKaus1iBPrKAKzU6xWyYBNFSjZrQaYeYaXKvL4idCmuYFns1qaHAB?continueMode=true

Flatpack Democracy - How to set up an independent town council https://youtu.be/S_o3300dxIs

Thanks and will look at this with interest.

Can someone provide a link to how all this local democracy is structured in the UK as Im confused. I live on the Gower penisula which is near Swansea and see there are a load of electoral wards, some of which have more than one councillor, Gower is one such ward. However, within Gower there are also parish councils, often associated with a single tiny village. I can't see how gaining control of my local micro village council is going to achieve very much. At the moment it is no doubt dominated by aging, white, middle class men who probably sit around talking about which brand of tea they should be buying for the next village hall bring and buy sale.

John, sorry for the long delay in replying. You raise important points.
I may not be right about Wales, but I think what you now have is a load of 'Community Councils' which are like the old Parish/Towns (so technically you don;t have any parish councils). I think Gower will be one ward in a group of wards making up a communtiy council. Larger populations, like Reynoldston (where I first lived) have a community council all of their own. These councils are funded by asking Swansea county council for tax to be collected on htier behalf each year.... All planning decisions are probably made by Swansea I'd say.
Individual parish/town/community councils can actually do a lot. Not least because htye can set their tax rates and raise reasonable income. They can also join together (see https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/12/how-to-take-over-your-town-the-inside-story-of-a-local-revolution) to do much more..... indeed, it is increasingly clear that gettign this lowest level of engagement to work is increasingly important as no one is going to do much/anything from above. My book (Flatpack Democracy) sets out how and why you might want to take control at this most local of levels..... and drag them up from talking about brands of tea (which, you are right, is what most do).

Thanks for the post Peter. I live very near to Reynoldston actually and can see if local community councils joined together a lot more could be achieved. ;-)