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Author and community organiser Dave Meslin guides us through our political landscape to explore its most pervasive barriers and blindspots. Along the way he sheds some light on a collection of simple, creative and tested solutions to help remedy our broken democracy.
2024
In an increasingly polarised society, complex issues are often reduced to opposing sides: right versus left, driver versus cyclist, environment versus business. This divisiveness is especially evident in Parliament, where confrontational tactics dominate. "Unrigged" explores the impact of polarisation on our political landscape and examines how mob-driven verbal warfare and ruthless tribalism shape our discourse. More importantly, it explores potential solutions, such as random seating in Iceland's Parliament and the Kahnawà:ke Community's decision-making process, both fostering genuine dialogue and cooperation among leaders. Join us as we uncover ways to transform our political environment from conflict to constructive engagement, featuring reflections from current and former politicians on their own behaviour.
To foster a culture of participation, we must provide an intuitive understanding of how the system works, showing that anyone, even young people, can take a leading role. Imagine trying to excite kids about baseball but placing them in a class called "Sphere Contact and Diamond Circumnavigation", where they memorise obscure game scores from the 1960s. Ridiculous, right? Yet, this reflects the current state of civics education in Canada. To empower youth with the tools to find their voice and effect change, we need a fresh approach. In this episode, we delve into Edmonton’s City Hall School and Ottawa’s Synapcity initiatives, showcasing how practical and engaging civic education can inspire active participation and leadership. By making civics accessible and exciting, we can equip the next generation to shape the world around them. Join us as we uncover innovative methods to transform civic education and inspire young leaders.
We all update our phone's operating system once in a while, but when was the last time we upgraded the "operating system" of our democracy? In Canada, we never have. Election outcomes increasingly misrepresent voter interests, leading to greater polarisation, a lack of diversity in government and low voter turnout. Reforming our voting system could offer more choices and diversity, ensuring voters' voices are truly heard. In this episode of "Unrigged", we follow Kevin Rupasinghe's political campaign for a seat on Toronto’s city council, as he challenges an incumbent in a system stacked against newcomers. Across Canada, community and advocacy groups are pushing for change, recognizing there's a better way to conduct elections. Voting reform could transform candidate selection, campaigning, voting processes, election outcomes, and legislative function. Join us as we explore alternative voting systems and their potential to revolutionise our democracy.
Politics can feel intimidating, but it's not that people don't want to engage; they need an environment that feels safe, comfortable, and worthwhile. Government buildings often seem exclusive and designed to keep people out. Even small design flaws can create significant barriers to participation. Creating a good user experience (UX) is essential for better interaction between governments and citizens. In this episode of "Unrigged," we go behind the scenes with the Canadian Energy Regulator to see how it revamped its archaic website to better engage citizens. We also explore the City of Montréal's initiative to improve public consultations by engaging residents directly in their communities. By addressing design flaws and enhancing UX, both efforts aim to encourage participation and strengthen democracy.
Democracy shouldn’t be limited to casting a ballot and waiting passively for four years. In this episode of “Unrigged,” we explore participatory models of democracy between elections, highlighting the continuous importance of citizens' voices. There's a growing demand, particularly from younger generations, for greater influence outside election cycles. From Ireland’s positive referendum culture to a youth organisation in Boston promoting participatory budgeting, politics is shifting towards models where millions make daily decisions. Despite political promises to return power to the people, true change requires altering the decision-making process. To boost participation and combat apathy, we must move beyond slogans to clear, empowering proposals. Meet individuals in this episode who actively engage their democratic muscle beyond just voting.
In this episode of “Unrigged”, we explore the roots of democracy in ancient Athens where a democratic lottery replaced elections. What if we used this method today and selected ordinary people to tackle political issues? Research shows diverse perspectives are crucial for problem-solving. Citizens’ assemblies exemplify this approach by gathering a diverse group of people to address specific issues. We follow a real assembly in Halifax where 35 individuals from Nova Scotia use lived experiences to develop consensus recommendations on primary care. Unlike our governments, these assemblies offer a truly representative sample of society, fostering innovation and strengthening democracy by prioritising inclusivity.
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