Creating a real democracy to replace our deficient,
defective system is obviously no simple task. However, the positive outcome of
an assembly called around producing an Agreement of the People for the 21st
century shows that the project is gathering momentum.
A diverse range of groups and individuals have formed a
steering group to complete work on revising the draft Agreement presented to
the assembly that was held in London
at the weekend (You can watch a live stream here, here and here).
When finalised, the Agreement will be presented as the framework
for a new democratic constitution for Britain . The idea is that the
Agreement should embrace political, economic, social, legal, environmental and
other rights.
The assembly heard proposals to complete the work within six
months and to then launch a campaign to win mass support for the Agreement, to
create a movement that will fight for it.
Working groups came up with many proposals to improve and
amend the present
draft text. These will be incorporated into the process of producing a
final Agreement.
Among the many action points was a commitment at an early
stage to try to create global links with other progressive organisations and
groups. How this can happen was established in the assembly itself, when a
representative of Revolucion
Democratica from Chile
was able to take part in a working group via the internet.
The need to extend participation in the process through
online forums (with links to each other) and make use of video presentations
was a key proposal which the steering group will work on when it meets for the
first time.
Also crucial will be the search for allies amongst networks
of community groups, trade unions, activist organisations and those struggling
against the state over cuts, attacks on human rights and for climate change
action. This is clearly going to require resources – human and financial – so
fund raising will be crucial.
Support from creative artists is already forthcoming. “The
Revolution Will Be Networked” assembly drew inspiration from performances by
poets Chip Grim, Cristina Viti and Adnan al-Sayegh.
The Agreement of the People project takes its inspiration
from the struggles of the Levellers and Diggers during the English Revolution
in 1647. A new constitutional settlement was needed to complete the switch from
the absolute power of the monarchy to parliamentary power.
When the Levellers put forward their Agreement at the famous
Putney Debates at meetings of the Army Council of the New Model Army, it
emphasised democratic control of power, the rule of law, regular elections, a
wider franchise.
Theirs was the first attempt in history to create a
constitution, to say how the country should be governed. Although there were
two more drafts, the Levellers’ agreement was defeated. Parliament became sovereign
but there was no democracy to go with it.
Leveller ideas surfaced again in the American and French
revolutions. The famous words in the US constitution about holding “these
truths to be self-evident” and “certain unalienable rights” sound like Leveller
language.
Fast forward to the 21st century and, although
the right to representation has long been won, the state has undermined this
through a direct alliance with corporate and financial power. A market state
has established a stranglehold over society.
The plan to produce an Agreement of the People for the 21st
century builds on work done by democracy activists in the previous decade and
the Real Democracy working group of Occupy London.
Created at the end of 2011, the group took as its starting
point the initial statement of Occupy London, that the “current system is
unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust”. The group has championed
analysis, debates and discussion about our flawed political/state system as
well as the English Revolution.
Seven groups have initially declared their support for the
development of a new Agreement. This is significant because it cannot be the
property of one organisation. It has to win broad support.
The time is right historically to consider what a real
democracy would and could look like. We are in good company historically speaking. We are a line
that goes back to the Levellers, the Diggers, the Chartists, the Suffragettes. We
are with Tom Paine and John Lilburne and many other fighters for democracy and
against state oppression.
We know that the tide of history is with us and not the
status quo.
Paul Feldman
Communications editor
No comments:
Post a Comment