Encouraging Dialogue — Encouraging Political Action

I am experimenting with outreach and with inter-action, because I am disturbed by the present political experience (at every level, almost everywhere).  At the same time,  I remain hopeful about the future.

In a sense, I think of myself as part of a relay team, in the process of passing the baton to the next runner.  Passing the baton is a relational activity.  It requires more than a willingness to give up and a willingness to take on.  But, in a time of uncertain weather, and on uncertain terrain, we need to approach the relay as play rather than as an Olympic event.  Willingness,imagination and agility, and energy are the necessary ingredients.  For my part, I don’t want to drop the baton:  I want to pass it on, to those who will run with it.

I was a partisan political operative and an elected representative when politics and representation were very different.  Ahaa, the ‘good old days’.  It may be that I came of age in a ‘bubble’ – an unusual time – but it was certainly a wonderful, sometimes frightening, time to be engaged.

Today, no matter what community you live in, no matter what you think about — times have changed, and different conditions change us regardless of our age.

I was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for a province that was then prosperous, energetic, positive, imaginative, and self-confident; when technology seemed to offer the prospect of a desirable response to every challenge and shortcoming; when people trusted their neighbours and valued ‘community’ and collaboration; when optimism and a sense of agency dominated; and when both leaders and followers had a feeling of self-confidence about passable roads (or even freeways) to an even better future.

My memory is that the ‘even better future’ we anticipated included:  living wages (and full employment); safe secure and affordable housing; excellent public education and healthcare; excellent public health; first class utility and social infrastructure (such as roads or water lines and recreation or cultural facilities);  honest, prudent, transparent and service-oriented government; harmonious community life (irrespective of differences) and more.  For everyone.  My memory is that this ‘even better future’ was imagined to ‘free people from…’ (poverty, insecure housing, ill-health, and more) so that they had the capacity, enthusiasm and ‘freedom to…’ (contribute to the community in one way or another).  The imagination was of agency and ‘freedom to’, rather than fatalism and mere ‘freedom from’.

Aligned with the social conditions of that distant time, the practice of politics, by representatives and by citizens, was very different.  I remember it as being much more positive.  There was a strong sense of abundance:  the problems were not problems of scarcity but of maldistribution.  There was a strong sense of agency:  citizens and representatives were not thought to be simply victims of circumstance.  They were able to make things happen, and unmake things.  With a sense of agency, people thought more about the future and about creating conditions that would bring about the future they wanted.  There was a strong sense that “we’re all in this together” and a strong sense that (almost) everyone was oriented toward the common good, although there might be differences about priorities, or resource allocations, or criteria.  There was an interest in dialogue and ‘keeping the lines of communication open’.

I long for the outcomes, but the inputs and the means may well be different, or obsolete and unworkable these days.

Technology changes, but do aspirations?

‘Freedom from…’ is still possible, and so is ‘freedom to…’  Collaboration is still possible, as is inclusion, harmony and diversity, and so is a strong sense of agency, and a thick, rich commonwealth.  Justice is still possible. Wisdom about the future is still possible.  And all of this is worth working for.

I want to be grateful, and positive, but I will sometimes lapse.  I will always be hopeful (sometimes with a long time-line).

I am a democrat.  I want to encourage the dialogue upon which democracy depends.

What are your thoughts?  Let’s exchange ideas, and help make some of them real.