After participation: Imagining democracy in the age of conflict
There’s a new context for democracy.
It has very little to do with participation or digital democracy. Enter imagination.
In spring 2022, Democratic Society and Untitled called together a group of Untitled members working on renewing democracy to engage in a series of discussions: What is missing in the current debate on reforming democracy in an entirely new context?
This paper is a form of documentation of the Democracy & Imagination Agenda Group‘s discussions. The paper presents aspects to be addressed in a new context and suggests ideas to start with. It does not intend to provide a holistic overview of the ongoing debate. Rather, it encourages you, the reader, to imagine what’s possible beyond our preconceived notions of democracy and the mainstream focus of its renewal efforts.
Contributors to the discussions:
Indra Adnan, The Alternative UK
Nour Attalla, Untitled team
Michelle Deutsch, Das Progressive Zentrum
Gabriella Gómez-Mont, Experimentalista
Joseph Harrington, Samhällsnytta
Outi Kuittinen, Untitled team
Panthea Lee, Reboot
Paola Pierri, Democratic Society
max stearns, Democratic Society
Step back
Adding participation
is not the solution
Imagine new artefacts
Use conflict
Create liminal spaces
Immediacy is not intensity
Start with the physical
Combine local with central
Put your weight
behind what matters
