The 2002 book "Society's Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People" presents a strategy for transforming "The System", which is causing society's biggest problems. The book suggests an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what was then called "The Citizens Amendment." But through experiments with the Wisdom Council Process since then, we've discovered that the Amendment is more like step 10 than step 1. That is, we (just us) can set the process in motion effectively. As ongoing Wisdom Councils gain popular support, the Amendment will come into being naturally.
The "magic sauce" for transforming "the System" lies not with an actual change to the "system," the Constitution. More importantly it lies with our ability to reliably facilitate a legitimate, inclusive, empowered "We the People" into being. And that depends on our ability to reliably evoke the spirit of "choice-creating" at large scale.
In the last 20 years the Amendment has changed its name from the "Citizens Amendment" to the "Wise Democracy Amendment", which is described below.
The Wise Democracy Amendment
Note #1: It’s hard to find any risk to this proposed amendment. There is no coercion of any kind. It's just adding a new conversation to what already exists. And this conversation seeks to include everyone in reaching unity. ...
Note #2: Since most people don't have experience with choice-creating and Dynamic Facilitation, achieving this new whole-system conversation that includes everyone and reaches wise unity may seem impossible.... But the Wisdom Council Process is already proven to work in many examples.
Note #3: This process is accessible. With enough money and media support a small group of well-meaning citizens can start this process. As voters and elected officials gain experience with the new ultimate authority, "We the People" and the many benefits, enacting this Amendment or one like it will emerge naturally.
Benefits include:
The Wise Democracy Amendment provides a way to:
The "magic sauce" for transforming "the System" lies not with an actual change to the "system," the Constitution. More importantly it lies with our ability to reliably facilitate a legitimate, inclusive, empowered "We the People" into being. And that depends on our ability to reliably evoke the spirit of "choice-creating" at large scale.
In the last 20 years the Amendment has changed its name from the "Citizens Amendment" to the "Wise Democracy Amendment", which is described below.
The Wise Democracy Amendment
- Section 1--A national Wisdom Council Process: There shall be an ongoing series of Wisdom Councils, at least three per year, for the nation. Each Wisdom Council is comprised of ten to twenty-four citizens randomly selected from voter registration roles. They gather for two to five days. Each one is presented with an issue of vital importance and is dynamically facilitated to create a unified perspective.
- Section 2 —The issues: The issues may be determined in a number of ways. In rotating fashion where first the executive branch identifies an issue. And then one of the political parties will have a turn to determine an issue. Than the executive branch. And then the next political party. In addition, Wisdom Councils may be convened to address citizen-determined issues when enough signatures to support these issues are gathered. Note: Since each Wisdom Council is dynamically facilitated, the original issue may evolve to become something different than was first presented. So the randomly selected Wisdom Council ultimately determines the issue
- Section 3 — The "National Community Cafe": All citizens are invited to come together to hear the Wisdom Council present 1) its unified perspective; 2) the story of how this perspective evolved into being; and 3) personal reflections from members of the Wisdom Council on their experience in the Wisdom Council. Then the Wisdom Council disbands and the citizen audience takes over. They visit with one another in face to face small groups and online live conversations, share their reactions and continue the conversation, building on the unified views of the Wisdom Council. Afterwards, there is a brief check-in to determine the level of audience resonance with the Wisdom Council perspectives. Note: The report out of the Wisdom Council is not a set of recommendations to decision-makers. Rather it is a reflection to the citizens of what we all think and how we all feel. This reflection facilitates a new level of citizen participation and whole-system conversation, where a thoughtful unified voice of "the People" can emerge.
- Section 4—Supporting the rise of "We the People": After the live Community Cafe, people are encouraged to continue talking in a similar way, where whole-system unity is the ultimate aim. This conversation can continue online and in the public media until the next Wisdom Council is randomly selected. To the extent that people talk about the issues in this new way, seeking unity, we are adding a new element to our system, where "all" the people come together as "We the People," creatively addressing the most pressing issues and providing responsible leadership to decision-makers in government and the economy.
- Section 5—The Quality of Conversation: Each Wisdom Council must be facilitated in a way that reliably evokes a particular quality of thinking, "choice-creating," where people speak authentically and creatively, ultimately reaching unity. This quality of talking and thinking, supplemental to the usual "decision-making," is required for “We the People” to come into existence. Dynamic Facilitation is used to reliably evoke choice-creating in small-group settings, like the Wisdom Council itself. The Wisdom Council Process, with ongoing random groups presenting their unified results, can "facilitate" choice-creating in the larger, society-wide "We the People" conversation.
- Section 6—The Wisdom Council Commission: A rotating group of twelve former Wisdom Council members will manage the process, as much as possible assuring that the We the People conversation is all-inclusive and choice-creating. A maximum of three people from any one Wisdom Council will be selected by all the members.
Note #1: It’s hard to find any risk to this proposed amendment. There is no coercion of any kind. It's just adding a new conversation to what already exists. And this conversation seeks to include everyone in reaching unity. ...
Note #2: Since most people don't have experience with choice-creating and Dynamic Facilitation, achieving this new whole-system conversation that includes everyone and reaches wise unity may seem impossible.... But the Wisdom Council Process is already proven to work in many examples.
Note #3: This process is accessible. With enough money and media support a small group of well-meaning citizens can start this process. As voters and elected officials gain experience with the new ultimate authority, "We the People" and the many benefits, enacting this Amendment or one like it will emerge naturally.
Benefits include:
The Wise Democracy Amendment provides a way to:
- Transform the quality of political conversation so that it becomes more inclusive, respectful, creative and consensual.
- Co-create shared truth that can obsolete media silos.
- Generate a shared vision and clear sense of the “public interest.”
- Generate new solutions to impossible-seeming public issues, along with the will to implement these solutions.
- Generate a spirit of national (and global) trust and community.
- Facilitate a new system of ”Wise Democracy" where “We the People” provide responsible leadership to government, the courts, the economy and society in general.
- Preserve and enhance individual freedoms, celebrate diversity, and support the expression of people’s individuality.
- etc.
Resources
1) Chart comparing the "Citizens Amendment" of 2002 and the "Wise Democracy Amendment" of today.
2) Website for the 2002 book "Society's Breakthrough".
3) Five part video seminar "Essential Wisdom for Solving Society's Biggest Issues"
4) Video interview on the Wise Democracy Amendment (8/27/10) See below ...
2) Website for the 2002 book "Society's Breakthrough".
3) Five part video seminar "Essential Wisdom for Solving Society's Biggest Issues"
4) Video interview on the Wise Democracy Amendment (8/27/10) See below ...