Bravo TD, well written . My sentiments precisely. I've realised you can spend (waste) so much time trying to keep up with the latest news, commentaries and critiques all to no avail. There's only so much any one person can do. My solution will be to help community independents in the next election. Denise Difficult-Shrivell on bsky mentioned in a post from 15dago that she was 'Wearing this Democracy Walks tshirt while out and about today': 'Do not panic......Organise'. Wow that was epiphanic (not in that sense) so I bought one. Sign up for TrueNorth News if you don't already. It's brilliant.
Being careful of what I wish for. Business, Party, Union, etc- All are collectives of individuals in which we like to hide for Us vs Them discussions, believing defined groups avoid some bruises and skin splits.
I'm thinking that perhaps these collectives have rules that get in the way of basic human communication and direct the interactions into areas that actually create divisions though their aims. Working together in voluntary positions, like in Op shops, is different and I think there are opportunities - lol - in that sort of work there for interesting conversations and just random connections between people that lead to changes in attitudes and a better society.
Yeah, as you suggest, I think it is important to remember that any human gathering/organisation, formal or informal, is likely to have all the problems of humanity, one way or another. But it is also important to remember that structure influences behaviour, so the way things are designed matters. So, yeah, no-one should be looking for panaceas in this sort of approach, but ultimately we have to work together. That's why I like that line, attributed to Tolstoy, about adding our light to the sum of light.
There is a lot I could say about volunteering and the need for us to recognise and value it far more highly - but that goes partly beyond the specific framing of it in the context of politics, so I'll confine my comment to that area.
I think what has been highlighted in this piece - which Tim Hollo, among many others who have spent a chunk of time in and among the party/electoral politics milieu, have also spotlighted - is that almost every poltical party inevitably ends up prioritising the party through the context of the immediate electoral & party political dynamics. They prioritise and focus on marketing their messages/brand with the aim of increasing their market share (also known as votes, seats, donations, base of compliant supporters), not on empowering the community or even their membership & campaigners - almost all of who are volunteers who give and invest their time (and hopes/dreams), often along with some of their money.
The quote in ths piece from Godfrey Moase encapsulates it well, and shows it is not just about political parties but any organisation that prioritises maintaining and increasing the power of those who control it.
I've lost count of the number of times I've heard people mockingly talk about the naivety of Labor members thinking they could possibly "change the system from within", even though that is basically what every political party which prioritises votes, seats and elections is trying - and inevitably failing - to do, because systems change people far more than people can change systems. All of which is ok if one is just trying to ameliorate the worst aspects of a system and make some incremental improvements - but if one pushes a narrative/mentality of 'transforming' the system, let alone replacing the system, then it becomes little short of delusional (and eventually deceptive, unless one is very good at blocking out any form of critical thinking or self-awareness, which admittedly many long-term inhabitants of the political bubble are very good at, not least because the system encourages (and often rewards) it).
Volunteering by defintiion means working with others for reasons other than making an income. When it is done well - in a non-exploitative and empowering way for everyone involved - it can be truly transformative, especially at community level. Political parties (at least in the 'West) that adopt a 'vanguard' mentality/strategy, rather than processes and values which prioritise community empowerment and development, at their core will inevitably be just another political party - as is continually made evident by their own statements and stated goals.
Some great points, thanks, based on valuable experience. Esp agree with what you say about structures changing people more than the reverse. It is something I wish I had a better understanding of because it seems so important.
The other thing I'd say re the major parties, is that they are a nexus for other forms of power and the damage this does in distorting outcomes is deep. I think it is what a lot of people are reacting too: mainstream politicians can barely talk like human beings because they are forced, internally, to stick to talking points because they are actually protecting the interests of some vested interest. It just destroy trust and community.
The Moase post - a political structure ignoring its supporters, your references to Tim Hollo - and your ruminations on volunteerism - the bringing together of different generations - how refreshing. My wife is far more active in volunteer activities than me - a sewing circle making blankets (Warm Blankets) also having to raise their own funds for purchase of materials etc - the product going to people in need due to natural disasters or to homelessness/DV displacement. Though I have been back from my life in Japan as many years as I was there (over 16 years) so prescribed was my life there by timetables that I have not yet, in some senses, recovered from the idea of a schedule controlling my life. Any suggestion I might join something on a regular basis I am already noting to myself that a regular commitment is impossible. I wonder if others are similarly disengaged. I am not a golfer or a bowler - I don't go to "the footie" on week-ends - my thing is reading (as here TD) making sense of our world in all the mess that it currently is - in finding causes to support - pro-Palestine/anti-Zionist - Daniel Duggan - First Australians issues - reading, studying, speaking up - attending rallies - not directed by another ideology but finding my own way - via wide reading and listening to engaging with the issues... JK
Interesting point about not wanting to engage with structures, Jim. I relate strongly, and normally feel better in my own corner. But I'm going to try and step outside that. Anyway, I think everyone is different and there are many paths forward.
Absolutely, TD - I am not interested in remaking other's pathways into the one that works for me. In fact most men I know of my age are engaged in various kinds of volunteering. When I was much younger - 22 - I was the Charter Secretary of the establishment of a Lions Club in a far south-western NSW town. Because I was "the school teacher" and could write a letter - and there were many I had to write! With working bees of the kind such service organisations engage in. After engagement with the local rugby league football club - a sport I had never played before in my life - and acting in farces for the local amateur dramatics society - something which came into play some years hence in another town where when someone dropped out I stepped in to take up one of the roles in South Pacific. As I realise now those things are volunteer activities but also very importantly part of the social glue holding small communities together (just watch any "Back Roads" program for the ways in which small towns take pride in their "coming together" and general care for each other). And though my wife and I had only a year in Mudgee - such an engagement meant we came to know what seemed like half the town - added to accompanying students studying French on an excursion visit to Nouvelle Calédonie/Kanaky - more engagement. There were many involvements with the district in fact during that year...following our return from time in Europe - mostly in Spain and Germany.
That's the sort of breadth and range of engagement that I think is important, Jim.
Also interesting how Lyons and Rotary etc aren't the presences they used to be: you just reminded me of that. Even when I first left school and worked in retail, a lot of the "bosses" were involved in those groups. It was standard practice, or it felt like it.
I am so excited by this Tim. I think perhaps the reason the various community independent movements are full of women right from the outset is because of those community connections founded in volunteering in the first place. In my case, volunteering in a local bushcare and advocacy group. My leadership skills were learned as I watched others and then honed while advocating on some local community issues and made the best connections and friends through this. Not to mention volunteering on things like schools, kids sport etc. Conversations and connections from community volunteering builds trust and this is the cornerstone of successful movements when they arise organically.
A great example from Mackellar is a group who used to gather used material and sew shopping bags (probably for Boomerang Bags). In the 2022 campaign they sewed beautiful bunting, all from recycled materials to decorate every event. It brought people together and I'm sure people liked the true community spirit of the movement encapsulated by this and felt like joining in because of it. More please!
Inspiring as ever, Louise. I guess I had a sense that the Voices of stuff came from other community work, but it's good to hear a bit more detail. School groups were a big part of my experience too, esp when I lived in the US, I have to say. Our local elementary school did a mighty job of building community.
And you've just reminded me I went to see my sister-in-laws community choir the other night, with a whole bunch of other choirs, and they are another aspect of this. They are about so much more than the singing and in the same way Voices of etc are about so much more than the politics.
Great article. There is always the question do the niches filled by charities and voluntary organisations only exist because of governmental failure? There are approximately 185k charities in the UK and 65k here in Australia.
The second question ask is this the best way to help and why do so many exist?
Yep, good point. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever have a politics that makes charities unnecessary, but I'd also say volunteering is about more than charity. It's a good in itself. Still, the idea is to at least keep improving government as a central goal, and I think that, ironically, happens not by changing things from within but by changing things from without, and that's what I was trying to get at.
I agree whole heartedly re volunteering being more than charity. My experience with volunteering with Blaize Aid around Mackay after Cyclone Debby, and FareShare after that, is it is not philanthropic, it is good for the heart and soul, therapeutic, and in fact, very natural.
So many people have those reactions to these activities, including things like citizens assemblies. It's great to hear about experiences like yours because we don't tell such stories often enough in public culture. Maybe it's changing....?
I couldn't love this piece more. Volunteering has opened up so much for me. It has helped me place my frustrations into real action and connected me with some incredible humans. Can't wait to see what you get up to!
I hear this so often. People get so much out of this sort of work and engagement. We are not just self-interested maximisers as the neoliberals would have us believe.
I was a member of the Greens for a year and went to one event but basically I'm not keen on devoting my energies to electoral politics, even if they are who I mostly vote for. So I left. (Though I have Independents at both state and fed level and actually vote for them, recently.) When I was young I was very much an activist in the feminist and gay liberation movements last century. So that kind of non-party activism is where I feel very comfortable. Now I'm in a grassroots climate group (Rising Tide), which is wonderfully amorphous. I volunteer (NSW) to teach ethics in public schools (I recommend to NSWpeople.) I belong to a Climate Circle which is very inspiring - we meet monthly, eat together, then each person shares info very loosely related to climate activism. It might be a real-world event or campaign, it might be a book or podcast. I love that group!
I feel like electoral politics is still a necessity as far popular participation goes but any change to any single social organisation - state, corporation, political party etc requires organisation that is external to, and therefore, beyond the control of the authority structures of that social organisation.
That's it, I reckon. It's not like we can do without electoral politics. But changing the social relations in which it operates--as you say in your piece--is just as important.
Definitely a great direction Tim. Volunteering has so many benefits. I often recommend it to people blowing a gasket on social media. Step away from the computer, walk around your community, look for opportunities to help. They become evident really quickly. When I started out in that sphere, the local Leader newspapers often featured stories about people working to make the community better - with contacts. You might have to go back to the computer and google now :). Once you find the place where you can help you, and get started, the benefits flow almost immediately. You will 1) Walk a mile in others' shoes, 2) Get that gentle buzz from knowing each hour, and each day is giving others a better life, and 3) You are automatically a functioning part of your local community.
The link to getting away from social media is one well worth making, and part of what got me thinking about this. And your point about finding something, anything, that works for you is important too. But yeah, it is all about building those connections with people you wouldn't otherwise know and it's not like they all have to become your best friends. It's like the building I live in: we don't socialise with the other apartments necessarily, but there is a good community "vibe", even if it is just built on phatic communication and nothing much more. Nothing's perfect, but the systems we live inside--media, politics--too often accentuate the negative, and that's what this other stuff can help counter.
Spot on Tim. There is growing momentum for redemocratising our administrative systems.
I have been researching how we can break the cycles of incremental policy change that only maintain the 'masters house'. Our exisiting institutions and organisations operate within fixed value sets. This is rational from the perspective of organisational efficiency and management control but effectively prevents meaningful change. It reinforces the power of vested interests who Machiavelli described as the 'enemies of change'. I include political parties in this category as they are prioritising perpetuation of their position in the status quo over needed change. I note that one of the other comments made a supporting observation. Power is not given up, or shared, lightly.
Moving beyond system maintenance means building transition and transformation capacities into institutions. In practice this means formal feedback links between community learning and institutional change. In other words the outcomes of say, a citizens jury process or a consultation, can't be ignored or dismissed as being outside an allowable scope of institutional learning. Learning doesn't guarantee change but formal learning accountabilities for administrators and politicians would assist in creating the conditions for meaningful change.
Administrative/legal structures other than silo's are possible but are largely untested. Build strong community feedback processes into a silo and it no longer can operate exclusively top-down. Current structures are enabling the global polycrisis so basically it is experiment or collapse. It really is a case of adapt or perish. The key to making the whole thing work is local and self-organised learning as practiced by the Teals but formalised at local government level as institutional feedback/policy evidence. The idea being to empower communities.
Not sure if this is helpful but please keep the discussion going.
It helps, a lot, Ian, thanks. I'm so glad others are thinking this stuff through and are way ahead of me. It's why I found Godfrey and Tim's articles so interesting.
I like that you talk about transition and transformation and managing those capacities. They seem better concepts than just talking about "change". And unless they are managed properly--which is what I think informal community groups help achieve; it doesn't all have to be top-down--that's when you get people pining for a 'monoculture' or whatever. I'm mean, sure, some people will never be happy with anything that doesn't look exactly like them, but I'm sure a lot of the concerns that arise are just a legitimate fear of change and not seeing how they can find a place. That's what all this community stuff can help with, I think.
I've been a lifelong union member. Post-retirement I continue to pay (admittedly nominal) dues.
I went to a few ALP sub-branch meetings and observed that there was no role for rank-and-file members. I resigned my membership when my wife was bullied while working as a part-time staffer for a federal senator. I wrote to the sub-branch giving the reason for my resignation. No response.
That all sux, Simon. That you got no response is so revealing.
The next election will be interesting in this respect. It feels like it will turn on the extent to which people default to whatever they see as the least-worst option or how willing they will be to vote for something new/disruptive. A lot of that will depend on what candidates will be available. But I suspect a lot of people feel like you.
Grassroots face to face conversations will save us from One Nation if we have them.
💯
My Cousin votes One Nation on substack has a good series on conversing with ON voters.
Bravo TD, well written . My sentiments precisely. I've realised you can spend (waste) so much time trying to keep up with the latest news, commentaries and critiques all to no avail. There's only so much any one person can do. My solution will be to help community independents in the next election. Denise Difficult-Shrivell on bsky mentioned in a post from 15dago that she was 'Wearing this Democracy Walks tshirt while out and about today': 'Do not panic......Organise'. Wow that was epiphanic (not in that sense) so I bought one. Sign up for TrueNorth News if you don't already. It's brilliant.
Denise does great work, including True North, which is a great aggregator. Good luck with your community work at the next election, Gavin.
Being careful of what I wish for. Business, Party, Union, etc- All are collectives of individuals in which we like to hide for Us vs Them discussions, believing defined groups avoid some bruises and skin splits.
I'm thinking that perhaps these collectives have rules that get in the way of basic human communication and direct the interactions into areas that actually create divisions though their aims. Working together in voluntary positions, like in Op shops, is different and I think there are opportunities - lol - in that sort of work there for interesting conversations and just random connections between people that lead to changes in attitudes and a better society.
Yeah, as you suggest, I think it is important to remember that any human gathering/organisation, formal or informal, is likely to have all the problems of humanity, one way or another. But it is also important to remember that structure influences behaviour, so the way things are designed matters. So, yeah, no-one should be looking for panaceas in this sort of approach, but ultimately we have to work together. That's why I like that line, attributed to Tolstoy, about adding our light to the sum of light.
It’s a good, sound direction Tim.
An inspiring essay with so many ideas that offer other ways to bring transformations forth.
Sam Gray
Thank you. The linked essays are worth reading too: I was really taking my lead from them. I also just saw this, which is awesome, I reckon: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-15/sydney-hobby-clubs-creating-communities-to-combat-loneliness/106899252
There is a lot I could say about volunteering and the need for us to recognise and value it far more highly - but that goes partly beyond the specific framing of it in the context of politics, so I'll confine my comment to that area.
I think what has been highlighted in this piece - which Tim Hollo, among many others who have spent a chunk of time in and among the party/electoral politics milieu, have also spotlighted - is that almost every poltical party inevitably ends up prioritising the party through the context of the immediate electoral & party political dynamics. They prioritise and focus on marketing their messages/brand with the aim of increasing their market share (also known as votes, seats, donations, base of compliant supporters), not on empowering the community or even their membership & campaigners - almost all of who are volunteers who give and invest their time (and hopes/dreams), often along with some of their money.
The quote in ths piece from Godfrey Moase encapsulates it well, and shows it is not just about political parties but any organisation that prioritises maintaining and increasing the power of those who control it.
I've lost count of the number of times I've heard people mockingly talk about the naivety of Labor members thinking they could possibly "change the system from within", even though that is basically what every political party which prioritises votes, seats and elections is trying - and inevitably failing - to do, because systems change people far more than people can change systems. All of which is ok if one is just trying to ameliorate the worst aspects of a system and make some incremental improvements - but if one pushes a narrative/mentality of 'transforming' the system, let alone replacing the system, then it becomes little short of delusional (and eventually deceptive, unless one is very good at blocking out any form of critical thinking or self-awareness, which admittedly many long-term inhabitants of the political bubble are very good at, not least because the system encourages (and often rewards) it).
Volunteering by defintiion means working with others for reasons other than making an income. When it is done well - in a non-exploitative and empowering way for everyone involved - it can be truly transformative, especially at community level. Political parties (at least in the 'West) that adopt a 'vanguard' mentality/strategy, rather than processes and values which prioritise community empowerment and development, at their core will inevitably be just another political party - as is continually made evident by their own statements and stated goals.
Some great points, thanks, based on valuable experience. Esp agree with what you say about structures changing people more than the reverse. It is something I wish I had a better understanding of because it seems so important.
The other thing I'd say re the major parties, is that they are a nexus for other forms of power and the damage this does in distorting outcomes is deep. I think it is what a lot of people are reacting too: mainstream politicians can barely talk like human beings because they are forced, internally, to stick to talking points because they are actually protecting the interests of some vested interest. It just destroy trust and community.
Anyway, thanks, Andrew.
The Moase post - a political structure ignoring its supporters, your references to Tim Hollo - and your ruminations on volunteerism - the bringing together of different generations - how refreshing. My wife is far more active in volunteer activities than me - a sewing circle making blankets (Warm Blankets) also having to raise their own funds for purchase of materials etc - the product going to people in need due to natural disasters or to homelessness/DV displacement. Though I have been back from my life in Japan as many years as I was there (over 16 years) so prescribed was my life there by timetables that I have not yet, in some senses, recovered from the idea of a schedule controlling my life. Any suggestion I might join something on a regular basis I am already noting to myself that a regular commitment is impossible. I wonder if others are similarly disengaged. I am not a golfer or a bowler - I don't go to "the footie" on week-ends - my thing is reading (as here TD) making sense of our world in all the mess that it currently is - in finding causes to support - pro-Palestine/anti-Zionist - Daniel Duggan - First Australians issues - reading, studying, speaking up - attending rallies - not directed by another ideology but finding my own way - via wide reading and listening to engaging with the issues... JK
Interesting point about not wanting to engage with structures, Jim. I relate strongly, and normally feel better in my own corner. But I'm going to try and step outside that. Anyway, I think everyone is different and there are many paths forward.
Absolutely, TD - I am not interested in remaking other's pathways into the one that works for me. In fact most men I know of my age are engaged in various kinds of volunteering. When I was much younger - 22 - I was the Charter Secretary of the establishment of a Lions Club in a far south-western NSW town. Because I was "the school teacher" and could write a letter - and there were many I had to write! With working bees of the kind such service organisations engage in. After engagement with the local rugby league football club - a sport I had never played before in my life - and acting in farces for the local amateur dramatics society - something which came into play some years hence in another town where when someone dropped out I stepped in to take up one of the roles in South Pacific. As I realise now those things are volunteer activities but also very importantly part of the social glue holding small communities together (just watch any "Back Roads" program for the ways in which small towns take pride in their "coming together" and general care for each other). And though my wife and I had only a year in Mudgee - such an engagement meant we came to know what seemed like half the town - added to accompanying students studying French on an excursion visit to Nouvelle Calédonie/Kanaky - more engagement. There were many involvements with the district in fact during that year...following our return from time in Europe - mostly in Spain and Germany.
That's the sort of breadth and range of engagement that I think is important, Jim.
Also interesting how Lyons and Rotary etc aren't the presences they used to be: you just reminded me of that. Even when I first left school and worked in retail, a lot of the "bosses" were involved in those groups. It was standard practice, or it felt like it.
I am so excited by this Tim. I think perhaps the reason the various community independent movements are full of women right from the outset is because of those community connections founded in volunteering in the first place. In my case, volunteering in a local bushcare and advocacy group. My leadership skills were learned as I watched others and then honed while advocating on some local community issues and made the best connections and friends through this. Not to mention volunteering on things like schools, kids sport etc. Conversations and connections from community volunteering builds trust and this is the cornerstone of successful movements when they arise organically.
A great example from Mackellar is a group who used to gather used material and sew shopping bags (probably for Boomerang Bags). In the 2022 campaign they sewed beautiful bunting, all from recycled materials to decorate every event. It brought people together and I'm sure people liked the true community spirit of the movement encapsulated by this and felt like joining in because of it. More please!
Inspiring as ever, Louise. I guess I had a sense that the Voices of stuff came from other community work, but it's good to hear a bit more detail. School groups were a big part of my experience too, esp when I lived in the US, I have to say. Our local elementary school did a mighty job of building community.
And you've just reminded me I went to see my sister-in-laws community choir the other night, with a whole bunch of other choirs, and they are another aspect of this. They are about so much more than the singing and in the same way Voices of etc are about so much more than the politics.
Maybe consider seeing the latest ACCA exhibition, you may appreciate it. “ I’m so Lonesome I could cry”. Thanks for your writing, appreciated.
Just looked it up, thanks. I don't live far from there, so will go have a look. Sounds great.
Great article. There is always the question do the niches filled by charities and voluntary organisations only exist because of governmental failure? There are approximately 185k charities in the UK and 65k here in Australia.
The second question ask is this the best way to help and why do so many exist?
Yep, good point. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever have a politics that makes charities unnecessary, but I'd also say volunteering is about more than charity. It's a good in itself. Still, the idea is to at least keep improving government as a central goal, and I think that, ironically, happens not by changing things from within but by changing things from without, and that's what I was trying to get at.
I agree whole heartedly re volunteering being more than charity. My experience with volunteering with Blaize Aid around Mackay after Cyclone Debby, and FareShare after that, is it is not philanthropic, it is good for the heart and soul, therapeutic, and in fact, very natural.
So many people have those reactions to these activities, including things like citizens assemblies. It's great to hear about experiences like yours because we don't tell such stories often enough in public culture. Maybe it's changing....?
I couldn't love this piece more. Volunteering has opened up so much for me. It has helped me place my frustrations into real action and connected me with some incredible humans. Can't wait to see what you get up to!
I hear this so often. People get so much out of this sort of work and engagement. We are not just self-interested maximisers as the neoliberals would have us believe.
I was a member of the Greens for a year and went to one event but basically I'm not keen on devoting my energies to electoral politics, even if they are who I mostly vote for. So I left. (Though I have Independents at both state and fed level and actually vote for them, recently.) When I was young I was very much an activist in the feminist and gay liberation movements last century. So that kind of non-party activism is where I feel very comfortable. Now I'm in a grassroots climate group (Rising Tide), which is wonderfully amorphous. I volunteer (NSW) to teach ethics in public schools (I recommend to NSWpeople.) I belong to a Climate Circle which is very inspiring - we meet monthly, eat together, then each person shares info very loosely related to climate activism. It might be a real-world event or campaign, it might be a book or podcast. I love that group!
Ha, thanks, Suze. What a range!
I feel like electoral politics is still a necessity as far popular participation goes but any change to any single social organisation - state, corporation, political party etc requires organisation that is external to, and therefore, beyond the control of the authority structures of that social organisation.
That's it, I reckon. It's not like we can do without electoral politics. But changing the social relations in which it operates--as you say in your piece--is just as important.
Definitely a great direction Tim. Volunteering has so many benefits. I often recommend it to people blowing a gasket on social media. Step away from the computer, walk around your community, look for opportunities to help. They become evident really quickly. When I started out in that sphere, the local Leader newspapers often featured stories about people working to make the community better - with contacts. You might have to go back to the computer and google now :). Once you find the place where you can help you, and get started, the benefits flow almost immediately. You will 1) Walk a mile in others' shoes, 2) Get that gentle buzz from knowing each hour, and each day is giving others a better life, and 3) You are automatically a functioning part of your local community.
The link to getting away from social media is one well worth making, and part of what got me thinking about this. And your point about finding something, anything, that works for you is important too. But yeah, it is all about building those connections with people you wouldn't otherwise know and it's not like they all have to become your best friends. It's like the building I live in: we don't socialise with the other apartments necessarily, but there is a good community "vibe", even if it is just built on phatic communication and nothing much more. Nothing's perfect, but the systems we live inside--media, politics--too often accentuate the negative, and that's what this other stuff can help counter.
Spot on Tim. There is growing momentum for redemocratising our administrative systems.
I have been researching how we can break the cycles of incremental policy change that only maintain the 'masters house'. Our exisiting institutions and organisations operate within fixed value sets. This is rational from the perspective of organisational efficiency and management control but effectively prevents meaningful change. It reinforces the power of vested interests who Machiavelli described as the 'enemies of change'. I include political parties in this category as they are prioritising perpetuation of their position in the status quo over needed change. I note that one of the other comments made a supporting observation. Power is not given up, or shared, lightly.
Moving beyond system maintenance means building transition and transformation capacities into institutions. In practice this means formal feedback links between community learning and institutional change. In other words the outcomes of say, a citizens jury process or a consultation, can't be ignored or dismissed as being outside an allowable scope of institutional learning. Learning doesn't guarantee change but formal learning accountabilities for administrators and politicians would assist in creating the conditions for meaningful change.
Administrative/legal structures other than silo's are possible but are largely untested. Build strong community feedback processes into a silo and it no longer can operate exclusively top-down. Current structures are enabling the global polycrisis so basically it is experiment or collapse. It really is a case of adapt or perish. The key to making the whole thing work is local and self-organised learning as practiced by the Teals but formalised at local government level as institutional feedback/policy evidence. The idea being to empower communities.
Not sure if this is helpful but please keep the discussion going.
Ian McNicol
It helps, a lot, Ian, thanks. I'm so glad others are thinking this stuff through and are way ahead of me. It's why I found Godfrey and Tim's articles so interesting.
I like that you talk about transition and transformation and managing those capacities. They seem better concepts than just talking about "change". And unless they are managed properly--which is what I think informal community groups help achieve; it doesn't all have to be top-down--that's when you get people pining for a 'monoculture' or whatever. I'm mean, sure, some people will never be happy with anything that doesn't look exactly like them, but I'm sure a lot of the concerns that arise are just a legitimate fear of change and not seeing how they can find a place. That's what all this community stuff can help with, I think.
I've been a lifelong union member. Post-retirement I continue to pay (admittedly nominal) dues.
I went to a few ALP sub-branch meetings and observed that there was no role for rank-and-file members. I resigned my membership when my wife was bullied while working as a part-time staffer for a federal senator. I wrote to the sub-branch giving the reason for my resignation. No response.
Nevertheless I continued to vote labor.
But the ALP has lost me now.
That all sux, Simon. That you got no response is so revealing.
The next election will be interesting in this respect. It feels like it will turn on the extent to which people default to whatever they see as the least-worst option or how willing they will be to vote for something new/disruptive. A lot of that will depend on what candidates will be available. But I suspect a lot of people feel like you.