The following is a proposal that I am brining forward to the UNA's Standing Committee on Governance as part of an integrated plan of improving and enhancing our local democratic capacity.
The Democracy
Café idea is based upon the concept set in play by the French philosopher Marc
Sautet. His idea is simple: a
grassroots forum of discussion rooted in the general public. Initiated in 1992 the idea has caught
on world wide. In the
Lowermainland, SFU runs a widely popular and award winning series of cafés on
all manner of subjects. Our own Democracy Café would be designed to
bring residents together in an informal, friendly setting to discuss
face-to-face to discuss democracy, what if is, what it might be, what it can
be. As SFU states on it’s own web
page: “Thinking the unthinkable, imagining the impossible, and discussing the
improbable.”
The UNA has a
long history of creating general and specific purpose volunteer
committees. Currently the UNA
sponsors the Garden Stewards, the Multicultural, and the Civic Engagement
Committees which all act as volunteer gathering places with specific domains of
activities and interests. In the
past the UNA created the Schools Action Committee, which was an advocacy
committee. The UNA has also created volunteer sub-committees for by-law
development regarding noise, parking, animals, and waste management. Democracy Café involves aspects of all
of the above, but is centered on creating a social space for creative engaged
dialogue on an issue that is relevant to most residents in a setting that will
be encouraging and welcoming and not directly tied to formal policy
formulation.
Terms of Reference
1. Purpose
The Democracy Café, a sub-committee under the Standing Committee
on Governance, serves the UNA Board of Directors to promote engaged creative
dialogue, on issues related to democratic practice locally and globally.
2. Objectives
The main objective of the UNA Democracy Cafe is to build the UNA neighborhoods
into a vibrant, inclusive, participatory, democratic community. To achieve this, it will focus on the
following activities:
a.
To host
a series of ‘Philosophers’ Cafés at the Old Barn Community Centre.
b.
To facilitate
a discussion of existing and potential democratic models.
c.
To explore
and discuss democracy movements in Canada and globally.
d.
To
carry out other functions and activities approved by the Board on engaging UNA
residents in creative dialogue related to democratic practices locally and
globally.
3. Composition
The UNA Democracy Café is coordinate by a steering committee that consists
of residents, and one or more elected resident directors and UNA staff as
members.
4. Procedures
The Steering Committee of Democracy Café shall hold meetings as
needed for planning the activities anticipated under the objectives of
Democracy Cafe. The discussions at
the philosophers’ café events will be summarized and made available to UNA
residents and form a portion of the steering committee’s reports to the UNA.
5. Reports
The Steering Committee of Democracy Café will submit a report on
its activities at the monthly regular meetings of the Governance Standing Committee
and at Board of Directors when needed. Additional reports
may be submitted on special activities and projects carried out by the Committee
6. Resources
The UNA Board of Directors will allocate resources needed by Democracy
Café in carrying out its functions.
No comments:
Post a Comment