Re: praxis, not world party

Although in seeming opposition to Richard Hutchinson's statement, I agree
with him that we could only be a core of intellectuals - real changes will
come from elsewhere.  However, I still feel that there may be ways in which
positive action can be entertained.  Towards that end, I dashed out a
proposal - tongue in cheek - but maybe worth thinking about.  I have tried
in my way for many years to influence decision makers - to stay informed on
key issues and problems and concerns in the world, and to do something to
make a better world, and yet, I don't seem to make much of a dent in what
happens.  Do others feel the same lack of power?  Is it worth pulling
together lots of people who feel that?  I will welcome reactions and
further ideas - 

bob gregory



Working proposal for a World Party

Robert J. Gregory

Given that government, corporate, military, non-governmental, and various
other organizations promote their own goals, purposes and themes, and that
as a result, they create their own arenas of power and subsequent hegemony
throughout the world, individuals find great difficulty in making their
voices heard.  Not only that, individuals are prevented from debating and
setting the agendas that are established and promoted by these
organizations.  Defining what is to be done, generating awareness around
the world of the urgency of particular tasks, presenting a statement of
numbers of individuals who agree on particular issues, and spelling out
problem solving directions is needed.  Each and every individual should be
able to and with the World Party, can, take part in a democratic fashion
about the critical matters we face, on a global basis.

Therefore, a proposal is hereby made for the design and development of a
World Party, a party that will be global, oriented towards problem solving,
and restricted to an absolute democracy - that is, one person, one vote.
In addition to voting, individuals will be able to help set agendas, and to
engage in direct action to support the results of votes held.  The World
Party will be a celebration of direct democracy around the world for each
and every individual.

The World Party is designed to enable individuals to identify key global
issues, to provide sources of information about these issues, and to call
for a vote on key questions.  Voting results will be tabulated in a set
time period, and the results presented back to the membership.  In
addition, suggestions from the membership, as organized by a council of
elders, may be offered, and the membership may respond to those suggestions
for direct action.

Each person who registers through the Internet can automatically become a
member of the World Party.  No person can represent another - direct votes
only are allowed.  In this way, the World Party is revolutionary, and
democratic.

The major point of the World Party is to enable individuals to vote on
major issues in ways that reveal a consensus of world-wide opinion and the
numbers who agree with specific directions.  In addition to voting, any
member can suggest agenda items, that is, raise issues and questions that
can, if sufficiently important, or if agreed on by a large enough number of
members, be addressed by voting by the entire membership.  

A council of elders and a secretariat to handle the technical and
management will be required.  The role of the council of elders is to
review issues raised and questions suggested, and phrase the questions in
formats suitable for voting.  The council of elders will announce the
results of voting, and when appropriate suggest two or three specific
direct actions that could be taken by the membership in response to the
votes for given issues.  They will also serve as ethical guides.

The role of the secretariat is to provide the mechanical and technical
backup to facilitate the lists, to verify memberships, to handle
correspondence, and so on.  If possible, the secretariat would be
responsible for translations using the languages of the United Nations at a
minimum.

The votes on global issues will be fed back to the membership, and to
government, corporate, non-governmental, and other organizations.  In
addition, the specific direct action suggestions will be provided to the
members at the same time, and it will be up to each individual whether to
and exactly how to respond.  Examples of direct actions might be letter
writing, boycotts, letters to local editors or calls to local talk-back
radio stations to shape public opinion and convening of local public
discussions. Other examples might include phone calls to decision makers,
faxes or e-mails to specific decision makers, placement of pressure on
specific groups or decision makers, sometimes pointing out what is good and
is working well in addition to pinpointing problems and concerns.  Violence
is abhorred, even though the existing system is frequently violent against
the vulnerable around the world.  Direct actions should be aggressively
creative, innovative, and non-violent.  

Given the power of the Internet to develop numbers, imagine the impact of
ten million letters advocating a particular decision - the consternation of
the decision maker when he or she or they realize the scope of interest in
a particular matter!

The Internet will be the medium used, and given the rapid growth of the
Internet throughout the world, the Internet represents the best and only
workable medium for this World Party.  This bias to the Internet is
evident, and perhaps the remedy for those who do not have Internet access
would be to adopt a first principle that universal access to the Internet
is a right, responsibility, and goal. 

Among key issues that might be addressed are those of global magnitude, in
the political, economic, environmental, and social spheres.  Examples might
concern the rich-poor divide, the concentration of wealth and power, the
loss of biodiversity, the issue of radioactive waste, the problems coming
from lack of clean drinking water, over-population in relation to resources
available, the abuse of nations by each other, and so on.  The intent of
the World Party will be to phrase questions that can be voted on by the
membership, in order to bring pressure to bear on key and specific decision
makers, along with solid and constructive suggestions for problem solving.
The votes are to be oriented towards issues and perhaps decision making
groups, not necessarily individual persons.

A trial run with, say, 12 issues in an initial year (one issue per month)
could be followed by a weekly issue and vote.  The emergence of issues, and
the accumulation of voting patterns, should lead to platforms, principles,
and policies that will guide the World Party.  The Council of Elders will
organize these policies and present them to the membership for endorsement.

The financial requirements should be minimal, and voluntary donations of a
minimal amount should be sought from appropriate independent foundations or
trusts or individuals with no control over the World Party.  

Conclusion 

I acknowledge the contributions of many and look forward to continued
debate on the list.



At 15:31 21/11/1999 -0700, Richard N Hutchinson wrote:
>
>Before entering the fray again, let me make clear at the outset that I
>reject the premise that this list should be creating a "world party."
>My comments (from the beginning) have been directed toward the issue of
>what *is* appropriate for the list, and praxis in general.
>
>*** *** *** *** ***
>
>Does anyone else remember the line from the "Internationale" about
>condescending saviors?  I think it would be well to keep it in mind.
>
>The contribution that this list can make is to bring theory and analysis
>to bear to identify structural conditions facing anti-systemic movements,
>and to identify and spread awareness of the anti-systemic movements.
>We are not going to become the leadership of those movements.  If that is
>your goal, you should immediately exit this discussion and go get busy
>organizing.
>
>The best this list can be is the "Handful of Core Intellectuals" Party.
>(Unless it was serious about facilitating a discussion among serious
>organizations in the periphery, in which case it could play a facilitating
>role.)  Why would movements in the periphery (Amin's definition) listen to
>us? Think about the recent post hinging the entire global strategy on the
>ostensibly successful examples of the ANC and the Zapatistas.  Personally,
>I can easily imagine movements in Africa and Latin America drawing a
>diametrically opposed conclusion:  that the limitations of those movements
>and their lack of accomplishments are so severe that they become negative,
>not positive examples.  For core intellectuals to *glibly* assess such
>movements, and all the thought and sacrifice they entail is embarassing.
>
>The appropriate activity, again, is to analyze the situation facing such
>movements.  Based on the best analysis we have to offer, those movements
>are going to make decisions which we may or may not like.  They are sure
>as hell not going to look to us for practical guidance -- they better not! 
>What does a core intellectual know about revolutionary praxis?
>
>Prejudging a question such as violence/non-violence is absurd.  It would
>be absurd to say *only* violence, and absurd to say *only* non-violence.
>That good old Russian sage Vladimir cogently analyzed the vacillation of
>the petit bourgeoisie -- if the shoe fits wear it.  Warren, as of two
>years ago, dismissed all existing movements as not truly anti-systemic.
>Now he seems to be on the same wavelength as those extolling the ANC and
>Zapatistas as paragons of praxis.  Back and forth between utopian dreams
>and the cul de sac of the currently possible.
>
>*** *** *** *** ***
>
>My proposal for WSN praxis is as follows:
>
>If we were to pool our resources and embark on a concerted project of
>analyzing the obstacles and openings for revolutionary movements in the
>periphery/semi-periphery in the coming period (including the role of
>solidarity networks in the core), we would be accomplishing much more than
>in the current discussion.
>
>RH
>
>
>
>
Pacific Means Peace

Robert J. Gregory
School of Psychology
Massey University
Palmerston North, NEW ZEALAND

Phone 64 6 350-5799 extension 2053
FAX   64 6 350-5673
E-Mail R.J.Gregory@massey.ac.nz