At its annual general meeting in Winnipeg in May, 2003, the Canadian Unitarian Council passed a resolution to: "direct a group of individuals to begin a two-year study of democratic processes in Canada."

This study is now underway.  The coordinators are Ben Dolf (Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation), Sonya Ignatieff, Alastair Mont, Joop Schuyff and Philip Symons (First Unitarian Church of Victoria). 

The coordinators will provide information, and encourage formation of study groups in congregations to disseminate materials and organize workshops.  Paticipants themselves will decide what to study, and will be asked to prepare reports for other participants, and for use in workshops.

Communication usually is by e-mail, but those not on e-mail will receive mailings by regular post.  The Coordinating Group can be reached at democracy@cuc.ca  and by regular mail to: Ben Dolf, 3034 Westdowne Rd., Victoria, B.C., V8R 5G2; or Philip Symons, 2125 Landowne Rd., Victoria, B.C., V8P 1B5.

DEMOCRACY STUDY – OUTLINE

The purposes of this study in which all Canadian Unitarians are invited to participate are:

a)      to raise awareness in our congregations of the strengths and weaknesses of democracy in Canada,

b)      to undertake a critical analysis of our democratic procedures, and identify the deficiencies that impede the proper functioning of democracy,

c)      to engage Unitarian and Universalist congregations in the development of policies and actions that will strengthen democracy in Canada,

d)      and to propose a resolution at the CUC AGM in 2005 that will establish a monitoring group to implement any recommended actions resulting from this 2-yr study, modified as the need arises."

The proposed outline of the study is as follows:

1)      The Coordinating Group will compile a list of Unitarians across Canada who wish to take part. 

2)      The coordinators hope study groups will form in congregations, and that these groups will nominate someone to disseminate information locally, and organize local workshops.

3)      The Coordinating Group will indicate sources of information on democracy in Canada, and provide a list of issues we might study.  Participants will be asked to identify their priorities and interests.  The Coordinating Group will try to accomodate all individual's wishes:

-     Individuals may choose what they wish to study, and work with others on this topic; they may participate in more than one topic, or study something no one else is interested in.

-     Reports should be developed on each topic for circulation (by the coordinators) to all study participants and to members of fellowships and congregations for comment (e.g., in after-service workshops).  Revised reports will be assembled for presentation to the CUC. 

-     Participants may recommend and prioritize actions for the CUC.  The Coordinating Group will append these to the final resolution to be presented at the CUC AGM in 2005.

The Coordinating Group can be reached at democracy@cuc.ca and by regular mail to:

Ben Dolf, 3034 Westdowne Rd.       or      Philip Symons, 2125 Landowne Rd.

Victoria, B.C., V8R 5G2                    Victoria, B.C., V8P 1B5

SOME TOPICS OF DEMOCRACY WE COULD STUDY

Oct. 28, 2003

(Sources of information in parentheses; full reference at end.)

Participants in the Democracy Study are to choose what aspect(s) of democracy they would like to study.  The Coordinating Group in Victoria will help provide information, link those people with common interests, and suggest procedures - e.g. we would eventually like a report on your conclusions.

Below you will find a comprehensive but not necessarily complete list of aspects of democracy we could study.  They are grouped loosely under three headings, and most have a source of some information appended.

Obviously we can't study everything!  If you know what you would like to study, send an email message to democracy@cuc.ca  and indicate your choice(s).  Indicate as many aspects to study as you like. If necessary, we'll prune the resulting list to those aspects of common interest, but we'll try to accommodate everyone.  Please also indicate your congregation. 

We hope this will be fun!

The Coordinating Committee in Victoria, Nov. 2003

1. Raising Public Awareness and Participation

- Educate and involve the public in the parliamentary process (Longstaff Chaps. 13 & 14; WFC pp 3-4, 27-29).

- "Direct Democracy": initiatives and referenda (Longstaff, Chap. 2; WFC pp. 24-27);

- "Direct Democracy": Citizens' Assemblies (Longstaff, pp. 22-47+; "Citizen Deliberative Councils", and study and listening circles to encourage participatory

democracy ("Inovations in Democracy" website:  www.co-intelligence.org/draftPlatform.html

- Initiate a broad debate on society's goals, morals and ethics (Rebick, Chaps. 9, 11).

2.Reforming Democratic Institutions

- Limit the influence of money in politics/reform political party funding (Longstaff, Part III; WFC pp. 7-9).

- Restricting Corporate globalization, ie. global trade agreements, role of NGOs (Longstaff, Part III & Chaps. 11 & 13; Rebick, pp 53-55).

- Strengthen UN institutions, form innovative global "Deliberative Councils" (see above website), a Parliamentary Assembly for the UN (Heinrich).

- Reform the electoral system (Longstaff, Chap. 1; WFC pp. 11-21; various papers from "Fair Vote Canada").

- Reduce the power of the PMO and Cabinet

- Reform the parliamentary committee structure and function (Rebick, p. 77-78).

- Reform the composition of the bureaucracy eg. more regional representation among senior officials proportional to provincial population (Pat McGeer, "The Vancouver Sun", 7/12/02).

- Establish mandate and procedure for role of Conflict of Interest Commissioner.

3. Fostering Rights and Freedoms of the People

- Strengthen freedom of the media eg. alternative press, internet, reform media ownership (Longstaff, Chap. 7; WFC 29-31).

- Strengthen the code and enforcement of political values, ethics and morality (Longstaff, pp. 257-263; Rebick, p.225).

- Democracy in the workplace (Longstaff, Part II).

- The "business tax" (what businesses charge you to pay for their lobbying! - Longstaff 101-104+).

- Recall and political accountability (Longstaff, pp 36-37; WFC  21-24).

- Strengthen universal rights eg. gender, race, privacy, religious freedom, right of assembly.

- Introduce genuine progress indicators to measure Canada's well-being, eg. quality of life indicators (JustNews CUSJ Discussion Paper No. 6, Dec. 2002).

Sources:

Heinrich, Dieter.  1992.  The Case for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.  World Federalist Movement.  26 p. Out of print - contact Philip Symons, (250) 592-6484 or philmar@islandnet.com.

Longstaff, Bill. 2001. "Democracy Undone". Ballot Publishing, Calgary. 291 p.  Order through your local bookstore or <ballot@shaw.ca> or phone (403) 245-9587. $19.95 + handling.

Rebick, Judy. 2000."Imagine Democracy". Stoddart Publishing Co. Ltd., Toronto. 244 p. $27.95.

World Federalists of Canada, Victoria Branch. 1999. "Strengthening Democracy". Booklet 34 p.  Order through Philip Symons, philmar@islandnet.com  or phone (250) 592-6484. $5, includes shipping, make cheques payable to "World Federalist Movement - Canada, Victoria Branch".

I would like to study:

My name is:

My Congregation is:

Mail to:  Philip Symons, 2125 Lansdowne Rd., Victoria, B.C., or e-mail democracy@cuc.ca

IMAGINING CANADIAN DEMOCRACY - STUDY SCHEDULE (28/10/03)

2003 Sept.-Dec.

- Continue advertizing and enrolling participants

2003    Nov. - Begin the Study!

By Dec. assemble a list of priority topics participants have suggested, decide how we will address these topics, using methods that may have been suggested, and keeping objectives in mind.  Methods may include letting participants choose what topics they would like to study, and organizing them into groups to study these topics simultaneously; alternatively, we may study topics sequentially, all participants together.

2004 Jan.-May (CUC AGM)

- Begin first round of actual study! 

2004 May, CUC AGM - this is the only opportunity for some participants from across the country to meet face-to-face.  The Coordinating Group will request a workshop.

2004 June-Sept.

- Collate responses from first round of study, decide on second round.

2004 Sept.-Dec.

- Initiate second round of study

- Begin drafting Resolution and Report to culminate study

2004 Oct.-Nov.  RNG Meetings - these provide an opportunity for participants within a region to network face-to-face.  The Coordinating Group will work with Regional organizers to facilitate this.

2005 Jan. May (CUC AGM)

- Wind up studies

- Complete resolution and prepare it and a report for presentation at CUC AGM.