Democracy in the round. London event at Newspeak House.

This way for radical democracy.

The venue was perfect, the reaction to When Citizens Assemble was warm, the panel chat was insightful and provocative, but the group discussion made this London event an evening to remember.

We talked about democracy as a dirty word. We agreed that the idea that ordinary people can't be trusted with political decision making is a fallacy. We lamented the lost belief in the political ability of the everyman. We rallied around the idea that it is not processes that enable true democracy, but a belief in people power. We lambasted a system that causes people to be disconnected from and distrustful of people who are not like them. We collectively yearned for a sustainable collective vision that doesn't get revised in every election cycle. We celebrated participative democracy as a creative act.

Thank you to Patricia Wharton, Ella Whelan, Doreen Grove and Tim Hughes for their expert panel contributions. (As an aside, this was our third screening event and our third majority female panel.)

Thanks also to Ed Saperia for generously allowing us to use his wonderful space at Newspeak House. But mostly thanks to those that came along on what was a balmy London evening to meet and listen and exchange ideas.