Proposals before the Upcoming Greek Congress

Formalization of Worldwide Direct Democracy Movement, WDDM

This is in response to George Kokka’s April 4^th, 1999 email, asking us to respond within two weeks. Considering your views, I hope that the following suggestions can be accepted to continue the joint initiative of “Cyberted” and Jiri. That led to the success of First International Congress on Direct Democracy, (FICDD) last year, and the progress we achieved since.

1.      Continuing International Congress on Direct Democracy (CICDD) to remain in usage until the Greek Congress if write-in participants decide otherwise.

2.      TANN’s Message Board (MB) to be utilized, as Cyberted proposed. I suggest some modifications.

a)       To give it a prominent heading in TANN’s menu, with fast boot-up. No multimedia graphics and ads to slow it down. If Ted and Jody want to retain our Pribram photo and other slow multimedia commercials, these could be in sub-menus.

b)      The MB postings should be archived regularly, perhaps by-weakly, not to become very long to read or print.

3.       Membership in THE CONGRESSES and in CICDD to remain informal as it had been so far as it have been and still is on a volunteer basis as in FICDD and CICDD.

4.       VOTES: The necessary number of votes to carry a decision should be left to the Greek Congress.

5.       Worldwide Direct Democracy  Movement (WDDM) to become a formal group

a)       and will assist George Kokkas in the preparation of the Greek Congress

b)       WDDM already has its ‘founding members’. I believe that these are: Jiri Polak, Ted Becker, George Kokkas, Seong Simon Muk Won, and I formed this group. Please exempt yourself if disagree. Many other people joined us since, most notably Jiri’s Czech colleagues, Keith Bradley in Canada, Dawn Pisturino in the USA, Heiko Dittmer in Denmark, Aki Orr in Israel, several others who may want to join, and more than 30 individuals expressed paid support to WDDM.

6.     The Structure of WDDM should be formal, while CICDD is informal as it has been. This is a compromised arrangement that accomodates the “middle of the road DDs” from those of us who are advocating and helping to implement citizen’s self-governances at any and all levels.

a)       I think that we must concentrate on the Greek Congress, and the formal structure of WDDM to be prepared prior to and presented during the Greek Congress.

b)      Hopefully, we will all come up with ‘formal’ proposals for WDDM. Also we will

c)       to select a theory that have practical chances of implementation, and

d)      adopt a practical strategy of implementing DD gradually by peaceful methods.

7.       I hope that Ted will be able to assign a distinct WEB-site with a live link for WDDM within TANN’s main Heading. I will have one within PDDA in Canada, and I trust, all of us having WEB-sites will do the same.

8.       No rotating members suggested. G. Kokkas wrote”we are the most active members of our Executive Board” and suggested rotating organizers for the Greek Congress. I see no volunteers, and don’t think we should press anyone to help. If someone does we should welcome all forms of assistance.

a)       I suggest calling ourselves Organizing Committee (OC) instead of Executive Board.

9.       I support George Kokkas’s proposal to register the seat of WDDM in Athens Greece.

a)     Athens is the ancient cradle of democracy. Therefore it is most appropriate to seat the Worldwide Movement that aims toward true democracy in Greece.

b)     The registration could include that the CCIDD by-yearly gatherings are supported by WDDM

10.    Financial support is Important, and several methods could be utilized.

a)     CICDD participants should pay for its cost.

b)     WDDM members should have membership fees and subscribe to Jiri’s Newsletter.

c)     Greens, Socialists, and other progressive parties could be asked for support.

d)     Environmentalists, civil rights protecting associations, philanthropists, progressive foundations, and many similar sources can be solicited to contribute.

e)     I am supporting it through PDDA, using the income from the sale of my book and donations.

f)       Translated issues should be sold on the same basis that the net income is to support WDDM.

11.    We should all encourage people to participate in CICDD, submit their views and or a theses,  and exemplify the importance of citizens participation in initiatives and referendums, the uses of electronic and other media pressuring political representatives to adopt improvements.

12.    We, WDDM members, should point out the need for radical changes in the light of increasing danger of the representative system of politics to civilization.

13.    On NATO, KLA, and Yugoslavia: Both major sides are political representative systems. The third party, the KLA is led by an Islamic political group is fighting for power. People in all sides have common “fundamental and basic needs” and their “Primary interests” are also common. The principles of justice, equal rights to these essential needs, and the limits of freedom are outlined in my book Direct Democracy, you all received. I believe in peaceful coexistence and cooperative governances by the people. In Kosovo, political expansion, ultra-nationalism, and their special interests went into a terrible war that is killing and maiming innocent people, and destroy their country. I am with the people and condemn all warring participants. My book poses the paradox; “the elimination of the eliminators” also asks the question “does one  evil has the right to fight the other evil in the presumed name of justice?” My friends, I cannot and we cannot resolve the present Crises. Not in Kosovo, Israel, Ireland, between India and Pakistan, Korea, Tibet, even the French-Canadian separation forces. Politicians always resorted to armed conflicts to prevail. We should only support a movement that is not creating one political regime after another, but only true DD movements such as I see WDDM to be.

I will not communicate with you for about two weeks, but eagerly waiting for your responses and new inputs. One urgently needed topic would be at the CICDD in Greece, to deliver several theses regarding WDDM’s stand with respect to separatist political movements, and where and when we could become successful with implementing the worlds first Self-governances of the citizens.

Have a nice and creative day; George Sagi

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