Inclusive Democracy
Inclusive Democracy = Political Theory developed by Takis Fotopoulos and associates
Inclusive Democracy is a movement "for direct political democracy, economic democracy (beyond the confines of the market economy and state planning), as well as democracy in the social realm and ecological democracy. In short, Inclusive Democracy is a form of social organisation which re-integrates society with economy, polity and nature.
The concept of Inclusive Democracy is derived from a synthesis of two major historical traditions: the classical democratic and the socialist. It also encompasses radical green, feminist, indigenous and liberation movements in the South.
From the Inclusive Democracy perspective the world is in a multidimensional crisis, caused by the concentration of power in the hands of various elites, as a result of the establishment of the system of market/growth economy, representative democracy and the related forms of hierarchical structures. Inclusive Democracy is therefore not seen as a utopia but as probably the only way out of the present crisis." (http://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/index.html)
Michel Bauwens on Inclusive Democracy and P2P
During the last few days, I have been thinking about a neo-libertarian movement called Inclusive Democracy, and its call for a marketless and stateless society, and its rejection of anything that falls short of that elusive goal.
It has been a useful exercise to think about how the "peer to peer approach" is different:
- P2P theory does not seek in perfect state of society, but rejoices in any movement that marks a change for the better. That 'better' being defined as more free, autonomous, free and equal social processes that enhance our changes for survival and a meaningful life
- P2P does not seek a universal abstract utopia (marketless, stateless), but a differentiated social order based on 'complex equality', and a rich mix of 'concrete utopias', i.e. changes proposed in many areas of ameliorating a current process of production or governance. Thus, it acknowledges four types of intersubjectivty not just one communal form. Though, I personally abhor the current economic order, and think it is a major structural cause for the multidimensional crises that we are going through, I am not opposed on social practices that attempt to make the current economic system better (natural capitalism adepts for example), or even the Millenium Goals, even though 'by themselves' they may be insufficient.
- P2P theory does not start from any vision of 'how things should be', but start from currently 'emerging' autonomous processes, i.e. how today's humanity, with its current form of desire for autonomy and cooperation, invents new social processes that are more in harmony with it. There is no blueprint for a better tomorrow, but a spontaneous unfolding of human creativity, and an attempt to create supportive social institutions and processes.
- P2P theory aims to be integrative, i.e. to honour initiatives throughout the social fields, taking place within the four intersubjective typologies. It does not see why free software should be opposed to the basic income, or why the basic income should be opposed to the movement for complementary currencies. All have their place, and P2P aims to uncover the common ground between them, to network the various initiatives into a more coherent global movement.
- That does not mean that P2P theory wants to be wishy washy and has no "enemies", the enemy however, is not a person or a group of persons, it is that part in all of us which opposes free and autonomous cooperation, that is afraid of it, or wants to preserve its own personal power against it (from P2P News 92)