A STRATEGIC ADVANCE IN DEMOCRACTIC PARTICIPATION WITH NEW ENABLING SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES
A
STRATEGIC ADVANCE IN DEMOCRACTIC PARTICIPATION
WITH NEW ENABLING SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGIES
DELIVERING
DIRECT DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION FROM NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO THE
PEOPLE
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MAKE MY
VOTE COUNT Make Votes Count is the coalition that campaigns for referendum on a more representative voting system. It has brought together all the organisations campaigning for reform, these are: Charter88, Christian Socialist Movement, Conservative Action for Electoral Reform, Electoral Reform Society, Fawcett Society, Green Party, Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform, the Liberal Democrats, New Politics Network, Plaid Cymru and X-Change.
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TheyWorkForYou.com is a non-partisan, volunteer-run website which aims to make it easy for people to keep tabs on their elected and unelected representatives in Parliament. | ||||
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Charter88 supports no
political party. It is an independent organisation that
has over 80,000 supporters that believe there is a better
way to run this country. Charter88 believes that people should have as much say as possible about how they are governed and the choices made for them. Charter88 demands that the Government makes decisions for people and not for itself. It is important that people believe this and that they can take an active part in the political process. Charter88 believes that there needs to be specific changes to the way that the political system is organised. http://www.charter88.org.uk |
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| The Backbone Campaign is a grassroots effort
to embolden citizens and elected officials to stand up
for progressive values. We are expanding the political
dialogue by providing creative tools for citizens and the
progressive movement. The backbone symbolizes an
interlocking agenda, a coalition, and the personal
courage necessary to fight for a future worthy of our
children. www.backbonecampaign.org |
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Labour has only been in government for four
short periods of the 20th century. However its
achievements have revolutionised the lives of the British
people. The values Labour stands for today are those
which have guided it throughout its existence.
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The Conservative Party has a long history,
during which it has passed through many phases and
changes. For significant periods of modern British
history it has been the dominant governing party, but it
has also suffered divisions, defeats and spells in the
political wilderness. The Conservative Party has remained
relevant because its programme and outlook have adapted
to the changing social and political environment, and it
has never been exclusively linked to any one issue or
group. Continuity is provided by the fact that the
Conservative Party has always stood for social stability
and the rights of property.
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The Liberal Democrats exist to build and
safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek
to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality
and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by
poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the
freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we
acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of
conscience and their right to develop their talents to
the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity
and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of
the state is to enable all citizens to attain these
ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to
take part in the decisions which affect their lives. http://www.libdems.org.uk/ |
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Greenpeace stands for positive change
through action. We defend the natural world and promote
peace. We investigate, expose and confront environmental abuse by governments and corporations around the world. We champion environmentally responsible and socially just solutions,including scientific and technical innovation. Greenpeace's goal is to ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity. Greenpeace organises public campaigns
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The Secrets of Changing ‘How
Things Are…’ There is a feeling in the grassroots that if the current regimes can be overturned in elections, then things will dramatically improve. This is hardly like to happen even slightly, let alone in a rapid form. Most people don’t understand that no matter which set of Dogs run the show, they are beholden to the Corporate Masters – and that’s what really ‘matters’… that is where real ‘change’ is made. |
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Welcome to JusticeVisionWe provide low-cost videotapes and DVDs of progressive political events. The minimum donation is $5 per tape (up to 8 hours long) and $3 per DVD (up to 6 hours long). Since we operate on a very thin margin to ensure the widest possible distribution, we depend on donations from people who can afford to pay more, and on subscribers who automatically receive tapes or DVDs as they come out. Please consider subscribing and telling your friends about our service. http://justicevision.blogspot.com/2004/11/welcome-to-justicevision.html
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A common joke in Britain is that Fawkes was
"the only man to ever enter parliament with
honourable intentions." (This phrase may have
originated in a nineteenth-century pantomime, and was
commonly seen on anarchist posters during the early
twentieth century. The Scottish Socialist Party became
embroiled in controversy when they resurrected the poster
with humorous intent in 2003). Guy Fawkes appears in the 2002 list of " 100 Greatest Britons", sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public. The list ranks him alongside others such as John Lennon, David Beckham, Aleister Crowley, Winston Churchill and Johnny Rotten. He was also included in a list of the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes |
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Our vision instead is that of a Europe of Democracies whereby elected governments can co-operate together on issues transcending national boundaries where there is voluntary, common agreement. Removing the EU's legal superiority over its member countries and making Europe's elected national parliaments legally supreme once again is a necessary first, if not sufficient, step towards a democratic re-Enlightenment in our continent. The Democracy Movement works with those who
share our beliefs, of all political parties and of none,
without endorsing parties or individuals at elections,
and alongside groups in other European countries that
share our aims. |
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OVERVIEW OF INITIATIVE USE, 1904-2005 A total of 2,153 state-level initiatives have been on the ballot since the first one went before the voters in Oregon in 1904, and 41 percent have been approved. The modern initiative movement began in the last 1970s with California’s tax-cutting Proposition 13. Each decade since the 1970s has seen more initiatives on the ballot and more initiatives approved than the previous decade, with a total of 379 in the 1990s, 167 of which were approved. In the current decade, a total of 223 initiatives have been on the ballot through 2005, with 92 passing, on track to match the numbers for the 1990s. Twenty-three states have had at least one initiative during the period 1904-2005. Oregon continues to be the overall leader, with 331 initiatives through 2005. California is a close second with 306. Colorado (189), North Dakota (173), and Arizona (155) round out the top five |
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The Rainbow Warrior is perhaps the most
famous Greenpeace ship. The current Rainbow Warrior was launched on 10 July 1989. The original vessel was sunk in 1985 by agents of the French government in an attempt to foil protests of their nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. The plan backfired, sparking worldwide outrage, and the rebuilt ship proved that "you can't sink a rainbow" when it returned to battle successfully against the testing programme. Nuclear testing ended at Moruroa in 1996. The ship's name was inspired by a North American Indian prophecy which foretells a time when human greed will make the Earth sick, and a mythical band of warriors will descend from a rainbow to save it. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/about/ships/the-rainbow-warrior |
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 King Alfred the Great |
The British National Party exists to secure
a future for the indigenous peoples of these islands in
the North Atlantic which have been our homeland for
millennia. We use the term indigenous to describe the
people whose ancestors were the earliest settlers here
after the last great Ice Age and which have been
complemented by the historic migrations from mainland
Europe. The migrations of the Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Danes,
Norse and closely related kindred peoples have been, over
the past few thousands years, instrumental in defining
the character of our family of nations. While we recognise the United Kingdom as a political entity, the BNP does not arrogantly seek to impose one set of Westminster dominated decisions across these nations. We embrace and cherish the native cultural diversity within the British Isles and wish to extend the concept of democracy to the lowest possible level, where those that are affected by a decision are the ones who influence and make the decision. |
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Established for forty years as a key journal of the international Left, NLR has been transformed since 2000 into a new resource for the new century. Its range covers world politics and the global economy; state powers and protest movements; contemporary social theory; history and philosophy; cinema and literature; heterodox art and aesthetics. It stands resolutely opposed to Third Way pieties and neoliberal prescriptions, combating capital's current apologists with sharp and scholarly analysis, internationalist critique, polemic and experiential prose. A ‘Brief History of New Left Review’ covers the development of the journal's first forty years. | ||||
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The Countryside Alliance works for everyone
who loves the countryside and the rural way of life.
Through campaigning, lobbying, publicity and education
the Alliance influences legislation and public policy
that impacts on the countryside, rural people and their
activities. http://www.countryside-alliance.org/ |
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About MeetupMeetup.com helps people find others who share their interest or cause, and form lasting, influential, local community groups that regularly meet face-to-face. We believe that the world will be a better place when everyone has access to a people-powered local Meetup Group. That's our goal. Meetup Groups help people:
We're proud to give more power to the people and we believe it's possible to make a profit and make a difference. |
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FREECYCLE - A Brief History On May 1st, 2003, Deron Beal sent out the first e-mail announcing The Freecycle Network™ to about 30 or 40 friends and a handful of nonprofits in Tucson, Arizona. At the time Deron founded The Freecycle Network, he worked with a small nonprofit organization, RISE, which provides recycling services to downtown businesses and transitional employment to Tucsonans in need. As Deron and his crews recycled, rather than watching perfectly good items being thrown away, they found themselves calling or driving around to see if various local nonprofits could use them. Thinking there had to be an easier way, Beal set up that first Freecycle e-mail group in a way that permitted everyone in Tucson to give and to get. Freecycle was off and running. The Freecycle concept has since spread to over 50 countries, where there are thousands of local groups that have more than a million members - truly a grassroots wildfire of people helping people by "changing the world one gift at a time." As a result, we are currently keeping approximately 50 tons a day out of landfills! |
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The Independent and Self-Governing Trade
Union Solidarnosc, referred to hereafter as the
Union, founded as a result of worker protests and
established on the basis of the Gdansk Accords signed on
31st August 1980 by the Inter-enterprise Strike Committee
and the Government Commission, basing its activity on
Christian ethics and Catholic social teachings, conducts
activity to protect workers' interests and fulfils their
material, social and cultural aspirations. http://www.solidarnosc.org.pl/ |
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The Assemblies Website aims to provide
high-quality, instant access primary and secondary school
assemblies for teachers and others leading collective
worship. Our aim is to promote good practice and to help schools
comply with the legal requirements for collective
worship. Experienced practitioners, many of who are
long-term users of the site, write all the assemblies.
Over the years, since its inception in 1999, The
Assemblies Website has become a true web community with
an exchange of ideas and a depth of support that many
find extremely valuable. http://www.assemblies.org.uk/standing/index.html |
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| Anarchist Federation | |||||
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The Anarchist Federation is an
organisation of class struggle anarchists (based
in Britain and Ireland, but with many contacts overseas)
which aims to abolish Capitalism and all oppression to
create a free and equal society. This is Anarchist
Communism.
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Save the Whales was
founded in 1977 when Maris Sidenstecker was 14 years old,
and focuses on educating the public, especially children,
about marine mammals and the fragile ocean environment.
Our purpose is to educate children and adults about
marine mammals, their environment and their preservation.
Save the Whales believes children, the future of the
planet, need to be empowered and know that their actions
can promote change. Education is the key to saving
whales, oceans, and ourselves. Many people believe that
whales have been protected by the 1986 worldwide ban on
whaling. Don't believe it. Killings, captures, bombings,
and pollution continue to threaten these peaceful
creatures. |
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Human extinction within 100 years warns scientist"A top New Zealand researcher has used a prestigious award ceremony in Christchurch to warn that humans face extinction by the end of the century. "After 40 years, I'm part of a huge community of scientists who have become alarmed with our discovery, that we know from our knowledge of the ancient past, that if we continue our present growth path, we are facing extinction," Barrett said. "Not in millions of years, or even millennia, but by the end of this century." http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/114245/index.php |
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Democracy underpins the decision-making
process throughout the Party. But, without discipline,
that democracy would be completely undermined. Decisions
of higher organisations are therefore binding on lower
bodies - although this is not a simple one-way process. http://www.communist-party.org.uk/ |
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Year on year, UNISON wins pay rises for its
members. Average earnings are around eight per cent
higher in unionised workplaces. ______ UNISON is campaigning to bring women's pay
into line with men's. Workplaces with union recognition
are 20 per cent more likely to have an equal
opportunities policy. |
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20th century democracy
meant a vote once every few years for MPs and councillors
who then took all the decisions for us. In the 21st
century we can do better than that. The aim of the Direct Democracy Campaign is to improve the democratic process in the United Kingdom through the introduction of a system of binding referendums, whereby either citizens or their elected representatives may launch public votes to bring in new laws and policies, or to alter, or remove existing ones. http://www2.prestel.co.uk/rodmell/ |
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The Foundation for Global Community (FGC)
is a nonprofit educational organization, dedicated to
reconnecting people, the planet, and prosperity.
Recognizing that natural, social, and economic systems
are all parts of a single interconnected whole, the
Foundation has been promoting cultural change,
facilitating personal development, and strengthening
community connections for over 50 years. http://www.globalcommunity.org/ |
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TEXT 4 PEACE |
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THE ELECTORAL REFORM SOCIETY Electoral Systems http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/ |
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