Building a better mechanism for democratic engagement
Democracy is still a better form of government than all the other forms that have been tried so far. Fergus Neilson from THE FUTURES PROJECT therefore invites you to actively get involved and take part in an online social engagement enquiry into energy security and affordability.
No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except (for) all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. Winston Churchill, 11th November 1947.
Some pundits consider democracy as an ideology in crisis, that democracies are poor at anticipating problems and that they are easily misled by the stridency of polling and media commentary. Yet the track record of democracy since 1945 has been one of many successes – the enfranchisement of women, defeat of apartheid, intervention in humanitarian crises and the erosion of totalitarianism across the globe.
Of course, failures are evident and, at the sub-national level, frustrations are widespread. Yet there is no doubt that democracy still remains a better form of government than all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. Importantly, its very liberality will always allow room for improvement.
The aim of THE FUTURES PROJECT is to explore mechanisms by which social networks and community engagement might make democracy an even better form of government. We access the crowd, extract the wisdom and hope to influence the decision-making process. But we need your help to do so.
THE FUTURES PROJECT believes that the crowd is smarter than most elites would allow. The more the crowd is kept informed, and the more the crowd is invited to participate in the process, the better the outcomes for an open democracy – the bigger the crowd, the more diverse the crowd, the more powerful the influence.
THE FUTURES PROJECT therefore invites you to participate in an online social engagement enquiry into Energy Security and Affordability. Click on the following link for direct access: www.thefuturesproject.com.
Importantly, given the significance of scale to the process, please help THE FUTURES PROJECT reach the largest possible crowd. Cast your own stone into the pond of extended online engagement and forward this invitation to your own social network. Thank you!
Fergus Neilson has a wide range of business and life skills gathered from a career in the armed forces, investment banking, the United Nations, McKinsey & Company and private equity investment.
