Faults in democracy have been tolerated for centuries, but this year is different. The problems have become more serious – and a solution has emerged. The US presidential election and the UK referendum have decided very important issues by narrow margins, leaving half of the people in two great nations feeling pleased, and the other half feeling angry and resentful. The campaigns were loaded with insults, accusations and promises that…
Millions of people are now angry about the outcome of the referendum – and a change to more positive attitudes and prospects can be achieved by applying a new form of democracy called Live Forum TV. The Live Forum TV (LFTV) process, developed by the Live Forum Foundation in Geneva, is designed to involve the public in reaching a consensus on issues of national and international importance. The TV format,…
This week 45,000 doctors in the UK are being called to strike against a new contract of employment introduced by the government. Strikes and demonstrations are used in many countries to draw attention to a cause. They can be expressions of frustration or anger, mixed with camaraderie as people come together with a shared point of view. However strikes are becoming less common. Is that because they are ineffective or…
The Economist, a journal that is respected around the world, has joined a growing chorus of reports that democracy is failing [The Economist Essay – May 2015 – What’s gone wrong with democracy?] You might think that this is stating the obvious: democratic governments are often deadlocked and every election seems to trigger arguments, which too often lead to violence. So far the global response has been bizarre. In 2013…
In the run-up to Britain’s 2015 election, party leaders have again been shouting insults at each other. Politicians in parliament called the Prime Minister a chicken, and the spectacle was shown on national television. Most people would regard that as bad behaviour in a nursery school, but in politics it has become normal. The consequences have spread all round the world: Thoughtful people – those who think seriously about who…
