We were treated to an exciting presentation at our Oct. 25th AGM — one that was very appropriate at this time of multiple elections and turbulent times. Gita Badiyan spoke of “turning down the heat” on social discord not only through personal behavior but through implementing innovations in democracy itself. This makes sense. No matter how tolerant and patient we may be as individuals, if we’re surrounded by toxic systems, how can we create a more peaceful society?

Turning Down the Heat on Social Discord asked what practical changes could be made us to transform polarization and heated rhetoric into cooperative and creative engagement in the life of society. How can the values and principles that govern our private lives be reflected in the systems and institutions of the public sphere? 

It turns out that, almost buried in the “bad news” stories we receive on a daily basis, a revolution is afoot in deliberative democracy. We learned of the wave of innovation in Europe and across the world, giving citizens an active part in the decision-making processes that govern their lives. Gita spoke of consensus-style governance inspired by Inuit teachings, citizens assemblies that have been made permanent features of governance in Belgium, and virtual consensus-mapping tools such as Pol.is that allowed Taiwan to mount one of the most effective anti-Covid strategies in the world. Here the links to:

• the Turning Down the Heat website with information on these important innovations
• the Turning Down the Heat AGM presentation