Participatory Democracy

Participatory Democracy



We strive for a democracy in which all citizens have the right to express their views, and are able to directly participate in the environmental, economic, social and political decisions which affect their lives; so that power and responsibility are concentrated in local and regional communities, and devolved only where essential to higher tiers of governance.

This requires:

  • individual empowerment through access to all the relevant information required for any decision, and access to education to enable all to participate
  • breaking down inequalities of wealth and power that inhibit participation
  • building grassroots institutions that enable decisions to be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected, based on systems which encourage civic vitality, voluntary action and community responsibility
  • strong support for giving young people a voice through educating, encouraging and assisting youth involvement in every aspect of political life including their participation in all decision making bodies
  • that all elected representatives are committed to the principles of transparency, truthfulness, and accountability in governance
  • that all electoral systems are transparent and democratic, and that this is enforced by law
  • that in all electoral systems, each adult has an equal vote
  • that all electoral systems are based on proportional representation, and all elections are publicly funded with strict limits on, and full transparency of, corporate and private donations. that all citizens have the right to be a member of the political party of their choice within a multi-party system