|
FEASTA DEMOCRACY GROUP
It is clear that the configuration of the liberal democratic state is not capable of achieving sustainable environmental and economic outcomes. At the core of this incapacity is the contraction in political participation, and the limiting of discursive dialogue, accorded to citizens and non-citizens by the institutions of the western nation-state. It is therefore appropriate that groups such as FEASTA - dedicated to a solution-based approach - initiate, and complement existing, debate and reflection on constructing alternative democratic models.
These new models for a 'transformed democracy' would augment FEASTA's existing work on sustainability and ecological economics. Correlating economic models with democratic models of governance would not only result in a better contextualisation for both, it would widen and deepen the quality of the solutions to our contemporary crisis that FEASTA is offering.
A new FEASTA discussion group on the topic of Democracy has been established. The purpose of the group is to:
- Subject the contemporary liberal-democratic political model to analytical critique under assorted sustainability, ecological and participative-democratic criteria;
- Develop the broad outlines of a new, appropriate model of democracy that would be required as part of the sustainable way of life that is urgently required - in association with the World Wide Democracy Network.
- Within these broad fields to specialise in the connections between the developments in economics being advocated by Feasta and the development of democracy.
Subscribe to democracy discussion group (Feasta members only)
For further details, contact the convenor at democracy@feasta.org.
Democracy-related articles in this website
Articles are ordered with the most recent ones first.
The Economic Challenge of Sustainability August 2006.
by Richard Douthwaite and Emer Ó Siochrú
This paper, which was written for CORI Justice, gives an overview of Feasta's ideas about economic growth, money systems, peak oil, and the need for a land value tax and for citizen carbon quotas.
From the second Feasta Review, November 2004:
Political economy should be the name of the game
by Margaret Legum.Too many aspects of economic life have been insulated from political control.
Book review: Introducing a new model of democracy
John Barry reviews Gaian Democracies - Redefining Globalisation and People-power by Roy Madron and John Jopling
Book review: Participatory democracy is good for you
Patrick Mangan reviews "We, the People"- Developing a New Democracy by Perry Walker
Democracy and the EU
This paper by Deirdre de Burca (Green Party Councillor for County Wicklow), was presented at the Desmond Greaves Summer School on Sunday 29th August, 2004.
The European Project: Dismantling Social Democracy, Globalising Neoliberalism
This paper by Andy Storey (Centre for Development Studies, UCD), was presented at the conference 'Is Ireland a Democracy?', Sociology Department, National University of Ireland Maynooth, 2nd/3rd April 2004.
Democracy for an Ecological Age
This paper by Mark Garavan adopts a solution-based approach to the challenge of imagining a new democratic model for Ireland. It proposes a form of governance based on existing institutional and legal possibilities.
From the first Feasta Review, June 2001:
Book review: Can democracy deliver?
John Bruton reviews
Book review:
Building the new Jerusalem
Ciarán Cuffe reviews