<nettime> Demokratica

["Gabriel Pickard" <werg@demokratica.de>]

 Hello nettimers!
First of all, I would like to tell you that www.demokratica.org is now up
and running. Second, please let me introduce you to Demokratica itself.
I would describe Demokratica like this: It is (at the moment) an idea of a
social movement that redefines our economy in an ethical way.

I would like you to give me as many comments as possible. Please participate
if you think the idea is worth anything at all (you can change points that
you don't like, if you have the sufficient majority >democracy<) - Or i
would be just as interested in your reasons for not participating. Thank
You. ( mailto:werg@demokratica.de )
(note: yes, i read the post concerning NAM. i found it quite interesting ---
it is baffling, how near our ideas are. yet they are a lot more scientific.
maybe that is the strength of demokratica. demokratica is not a counter act
against anyone! - and only against very few things. --- can someone give me
Kojin Karatani's email-address?)

// this is a text from http://www.demokratica.org/system.htm - so you don't
have to read it, if you're already checking out the site ;-}

Demokratica's measures will follow certain premises.

- Non-violent. I choose non-violent, because it is good. If you have any
objections, tell me.

- Freedom of religion. While the freedom to choose (or not to choose) a
religion would certainly be maintained, Demokratica still would encourage
it's members to engage in spirituality of some kind - because people should
be whole - and happier through it - and that involves spirituality. Members
of Demokratica should find ways of interacting in a symbolical and cultural
way.

- Freedom of speech. Free speech should only be inflicted in very minimal
areas where other humans are harmed seriously. Demokratica depends on a
living discourse between it's members, because with out this discussion and
criticism, certain groups would be able to dominate the whole process,
analog to modern-day republican systems.

- Ethical orientation: Maximizing Happiness, Minimizing Suffering.
Demokratica is about changing things and all members should make an effort
to influence everything for the good. This also involves perfecting each and
every members own personality. Demokratica is a economical theory only to
one half - the other half is made up of what happens inside the people.

- Political, economical and cultural actions should be considered equal.
This involves people not only with their workforce, but also with their
hearts. Members of Demokratica are required always to think of how they can
integrate Demokratica more into their lives and how they can integrate
themselves more into Demokratica.

- Property actually exists - and actually doesn't exist. For natural
practicability, things, that a person, or module is momentarily using and
which are really needed, are considered semi-property. But the big stuff,
the land, the air, the stars, the fossil-oil, the gold don't belong to
anybody, they belong to themselves, not even to everybody together...but on
the other hand, if it doesn't belong to anybody, using in a good way won't
harm (which means we don't all have to starve now).

- Future generations have the same right of consideration as present ones.
We are asked to primarily work on the problems nowadays, but we also should
think ahead with like concern. For example, we should fight against poverty
nowadays with 90% of our strength, but we should also invest into
technologies like space flight or nano-tech, which might become important
for future generations.



What will it look like?

- Think in Modules. Members group together in Modules of about eight people.
These can be quite homogeneous (all members of one "profession"), or
heterogeneous (for example two families).

- Link these Modules. In a normal business-structure, it often does not
suffice, only to integrate one group of this size into one
production-process, that is why larger companies are born (next to enriching
the owner). That is why Modules can be statically linked to each other - in
a well defined interface, stating which goods, services or information are
to be exchanged. A timeframe, a definition of the location, availability and
other settings can be integrated if needed.

- All information, goods and services, which a module receives or produces
are recorded and weighed against each other. The front-end of each module is
a list, like an account in book-keeping, it has two parts, the body, listing
the input and output of goods and services, the head, showing the persons
involved in the module and the sum of all received and given information.
This front-end is public. The back-end shows which information, in
elaborate, a module has received or produced.

- The two sides of the front- and back-end can also be considered as the two
sides of an equation. Using a mathematical method for solving equations
depending on variables (types of goods) you could find prices depending on
one ground-unit (for example one kilogram of rice).

- Think in projects and ideas. Every area of action has a project (there
also can be concurring projects). Projects only contain ideas. They do not
contain humans. Humans always belong to modules. Each link should define
which project(s) it belongs to. Every project comes with a voting system,
defining which type of issues should be voted public - and which should be
decided by the people doing the work.

- Each person has goals. The goods, services and information which a person
uses or produces inside the module are associated with the goals that they
were used for, or were caused by. A person's goals are derived from the
ideas described in the projects that this person takes action in.

- A better social environment. The learning process (schools) and the
working process should be more intertwined. Children can have the feeling of
doing "real" things even though they are still young. Equal rights between
the rich countries and the (now) poor help to prevent social tension.

- Work together. Communal work gets the job done best and builds solidarity.
It also gives the individual access to parts of work-life that he or she has
not experienced yet. It is mandatory for every member (not only that, every
member has the right) to do work in diverse economical fields.

- Move it. To make the inner renewal and the discussion of innovations
easier, movements are a part of Demokratica. Demokratica itself is a
movement. Movements do not have a clear structure. It should only be known
that they exist and that anyone who wants to move things may take this way.



How?

- Buy companies. Then integrate them into this system.

- Let businesses and organizations integrate themselves slowly. Giving them
stages of compliancy. Their organization-structure would be modified
gradually and the employees would slowly be released into the
demokratica-system, still holding strong ties to their former employer. The
brand-name would become a project, the product-palette ideas.

- Start from scratch. Create your own economy inside and against the old
economy just by connecting individuals.

- Found parties. To support Demokratica's efforts in creating a better
social environment. Use that political movement also to fight against
dictatorship all around the world

- Through the web-community, create interest, connect people and further
develop the concept.

- I myself have quite a few business ideas that could give the start of
demokratica the decisive push.

- Demokratica would change parts of public life quite radically. I would
wish that certain aspects, like integrating agricultural work into public,
everybody's life could be accomplished. Quite a few stores would be changed
into public meeting-places. And so forth.

// end of inserted text. let's get on with the personal stuff...

I want to ask a bold question: ! Is Demokratica capable of becoming a
mothership for our movement? ! Forgive me, if I give my idea too much
importance. Becoming this, of course, would mean that it wouldn't stay "my"
Demokratica any more. My friend Lech actually thinks that i have gone too
far with definition and that we should have started earlier on, doing things
and adapting the concept intuitively. I believe there are three main ways to
interpret Demokratica. 1. Solely economical. The mechanisms of the system
are taken and used in a economical process (for example
high-tech-development). 2. Completely and social. A reconstruction of
society according to the system and Demokratica's ethical goals ( would
require a lot of change, very political - i favor this interpretation) 3.
Artistic and theoretical. Implementing Demokratica an ideal Demokratica in
ideas and actions on a very personalized level, without  a large social
movement (This would be if you see Demokratica as a Utopia that has it's
strength in being a counterpart to our momentary structure - this would
require a much more precise and in-depth definition - and for what, just for
art?).

Well, thanks for reading, and remember, all of this stuff does not really
mean demokratica, demokratica is in the doing. Let me also say here that it
is also very important for me to do as much good as possible, otherwise, all
of this loses it's sense to me.
Anyway, this was the first real public post of this idea, let's hope for
more.
Kooperate!!  -- Gabriel. mailto:werg@demokratica.de

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