🤝 Governance
How we make decisions together
The Problem
Most governance systems were designed centuries ago. They concentrate decision-making in distant capitals, create professional political classes, and reduce citizen participation to voting every few years. People feel powerless.
The Alternative
Subsidiarity
Every decision made at the smallest level where it can be made effectively. Your street? Your neighbors decide. Power flows upward by delegation, not downward by command.
Liquid Democracy
Vote directly on issues you care about. Delegate your vote on others to someone you trust. Revoke delegation any time. All transparent and auditable.
Rotating Stewardship
Leadership is service, not power. Short term limits, no professional political class, mandatory rest periods between terms.
Restorative Justice
When harm occurs, focus on healing — not punishment. Those who cause harm face those they've harmed. Together they repair the damage.
Start Here
- ✓Attend local government meetings
- ✓Learn facilitation and mediation skills
- ✓Start a neighborhood assembly with regular meetings
- ✓Practice consensus decision-making in your groups
- ✓Create participatory budgeting for community funds
Already Happening
Participatory Budgeting Project
Brooklyn, New York, USA · Est. 2009
Partners with communities across the US and Canada to design participatory budgeting processes, enabling residents to directly decide how public money is spent.
DemocracyNext
Paris, France · Est. 2022
Designs and supports citizens' assemblies worldwide using civic lottery to select demographically representative groups for policy deliberation, including at cooperatives like Mondragon.
Liquid Democracy e.V.
Berlin, Germany · Est. 2009
Develops open-source digital participation tools including the adhocracy+ platform, powering platforms like meinBerlin where hundreds of thousands of residents participate in urban planning decisions.
Decidim
Barcelona, Spain · Est. 2016
Open-source digital infrastructure for participatory democracy, providing tools for citizen proposals, assemblies, and participatory budgets. Used by municipalities across Europe and Latin America.
Restorative Practices Aotearoa
Wellington, New Zealand · Est. 2005
Coordinates a national network of community-based restorative justice providers, drawing on Maori traditions and modern frameworks for criminal justice, education, and workplaces.
Decide Madrid
Madrid, Spain · Est. 2015
The city's official digital participation platform with over 500,000 registered citizens proposing policies, debating issues, voting on initiatives, and allocating budget through participatory budgeting.
National Association of Community and Restorative Justice
Denver, Colorado, USA · Est. 2007
Connects and supports restorative justice practitioners, researchers, and communities across the US, distributing grants to community-based programs and hosting a growing national conference.
People Powered
Brooklyn, New York, USA (global) · Est. 2020
Global hub for participatory democracy supporting governments building participatory budgeting, policy-making, planning, and citizens' assemblies across dozens of countries.
Democracia en Red
Buenos Aires, Argentina · Est. 2012
Latin American civic tech NGO building tools like DemocracyOS enabling citizens to vote on, track, and debate legislation. Fosters inclusive public decision-making through open-source platforms.
G1000
Brussels, Belgium · Est. 2011
Emerged during Belgium's 2011 political crisis by convening 1,000 randomly selected citizens for deliberation. Now a permanent nonprofit supporting citizens' assemblies at all levels across Belgium.
Sortition Foundation
United Kingdom · Est. 2017
Organizes democratic lotteries for citizens' assemblies. Delivered the UK Climate Assembly, COVID-19 Public Advisory Group, and dozens of regional assemblies on diverse policy topics.
Loomio Cooperative
Wellington, New Zealand · Est. 2012
A worker-owned cooperative building open-source decision-making software for collaborative, consensus-focused group governance. Used by cooperatives, organizations, and governments worldwide.
PSPD (People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy)
Seoul, South Korea · Est. 1994
One of Asia's leading civil society organizations advocating for participatory governance, government accountability, and democratic reform through citizen monitoring and legislative proposals.