Ruben Nelson’s Thoughts on What is a Progressive in Alberta

As I reflect on the paper, it occurs to me that we need a more robust intellectual structure (framework) for the work.  The reason is that as citizens there is no shared way of using language or of even identifying, let alone ordering, the various elements we need to think through.  What follows is meant to help you determine what it is you require in this regard. 

I have found that the 4 core questions set out in the attached visuals (Qs #1 – 4 below.)  are very helpful.  Visuals of the Logic of the 4 core questions  I have added two questions in the text below for a total of six.

The firing-order for thinking them through is crucial whether one works from one end or the other.  Note that the firing order for public presentation will essentially be Q #4 (What big initiatives we are committed to.), Qs #3, #2 and #1  (Why we are committed to the society-shaping projects outlined.), and then Qs #5 and #6 (How we will go about it.)

 Q1.     External Conditions:  What is the full range of external conditions within which Alberta may well find itself over the next thirty to fifty years?  (It is useful to indentify the conditions that past/present actions and planning assume and expect; and the range of conditions should be assumed, expected and planned for going forward?  This move clarifies our understanding and intentions and distinguishes progressives from the others.)

          For example:  A much warmer world with severe constraints on carbon and other emissions.  A world that is hungry for the kind of trustworthy leadership that can make sense of the present and find reliable paths to the future.  A world…

Q2.     Strategic Implications and Issues:  What strategic implications for Alberta lie hidden in the possible emerging conditions?  What truly strategic (trajectory-altering) issues, both positive and negative, may well face Alberta as a result of the above external conditions, and when might they “go critical”?  (It is useful to identify the strategic issues we now see and are preparing for and the additional issues we do not yet see and are not yet preparing for.  This move clarifies our understanding and intentions and distinguishes progressives from the others.)

          For example:  The world needs role models of how to see, face, understand and respond to these times.  The biggest opportunity is to re-position Alberta as the world’s  leading, living, learning laboratory for how to consciously evolve a successful modern economy/society into a truly satisfying and sustainable civilization.  The biggest threat is that our economy is overwhelmingly carbon-dependent and the world is about to (within 10 years) reject this path as it near panics about the future of humankind.

Q3.     Internal Conditions/Character:  What conditions and character will be required in order for Albertans us to see, face, understand and meet the strategic issues that arise from the external conditions?  What must we in Alberta become, be, aspire to and intend NOW in order to lead and thrive; to enjoy a high quality of living and ensure that Alberta remains the most deeply satisfying place in the world to live, work, visit and invest in the 21^st Century?  (It is useful to identify the conditions and character we now see and are developing and the additional conditions and character  we do not yet see and are not yet developing. This move clarifies our understanding and intentions and distinguishes progressives from the others.  This material will include the discussion now taking place under such headings as “vision of the future” and “principles,” “values” and “strategic directions”.  In our view, the question as posed above is more useful.)

          Foe example:  Moral, responsible, post-egoistic and transparent conduct must become the norm for persons and groups.  We need to create and engage robust and trustworthy communities of citizens in all that we do.  We need to renew our intellectual leadership.

Q4.     Strategic To Do List:  What few and truly strategic initiatives might be undertaken in the next few years in order to create the conditions Albertans require for us to see, face, understand and meet the strategic issues that arise from the external conditions?  (It is useful to identify the few major society-shaping projects that are now before us and to identify those that would we would commit to NOW if we understood Qs #1, #2 and #3.  This move clarifies our understanding and intentions and distinguishes progressives from the others.  These are the initiatives one sets before Albertans and challenges us to understand, commit to and undertake.  Qs #1, #2, and #3 provide answers to, “Why would we do this?”  Qs #5 and #6 below provided answers to, “How would we go about it?”)

          For example:  We will re-invent public service and the structures/processes of governing.  We will create a new corporate form for “societally-committed” organizations.  

Q5.     Essential Design Considerations and Decision Rules:  What design considerations and decision rules will we always take into account as we move to undertake strategic and other initiatives?  (It is useful to identify the design considerations and decision rules now seen and in use in Alberta and the design considerations and decision rules we would commit to.  This move clarifies our understanding and intentions and distinguishes progressives from the others.)

          For example:  We face and explore the truly wicked issues we face and engage, not merely consult, citizens as we do so.  We will facilitate a wide diversity of responses and protect those who fail on our behalf.

Q6.     Steps Towards an Alberta Fit for the 21^st Century:  What immediate steps (programs, projects) must we undertake to get us moving in the right directions.  (This provides a filter through which all programs can be assessed and altered.  The point is to align more and more of what we do with the long-term work of Alberta becoming fit for the 21^st Century and the mid-term work of successfully undertaking the critical society-shaping projects.)

          For example:  The following specific steps will be taken to deepen and broaden democratic relationships within Alberta….  The following specific steps will be taken to position Alberta as a leader in the new game of consciously co-creating the next form of civilization…

Ruben Nelson

TO LEARN ABOUT THE REBOOT ALBERTA MOVEMENT GO TO www.rebootalberta.org

Duna Bayley Becomes a Reboot Blogger

Duna is the fourth new blogger to start up since attending the launch of the  political and social movement known as Reboot Alberta.  She is very involved in the Leadership Edmonton organization.  Shs is a thinker and a doer with a nimble and  creative mind.    So here is the link to “Wavewatcher.”  I know you will enjoy reading her.  Be sure to give her feedback and comments.  Bloggers love comments.

Andrew McIntyre Posts on What is a Progressive

Andrew McIntyre has a blog post that is provocative and thoughtful about what it means to be a Progressive in a 21st Century Alberta.  He says his own thinking about the answer to this foundational question itself is still a work in progress. 

He makes some great points about being careful about language and meaning.  Cautions to take seriously as we try to grapple for a better shared understanding as we grapple with the design of  new political approaches and concepts. 

Andrew was one of the 18 bloggers who attended the Reboot Alberta launch last month.   Thanks for the post Andrew.  Looking forward to your next one as your thinking progresses.

Here is a link to the valuable contribution to the conversation.

“New Capital” for What is a Progressive in 21st Century Alberta

Here is the first draft input from Robert McGarvey’s thinking on a New Capital  perspective towards helping to define what is means to be a Progressive in a 21st century Alberta.  Looking forward to your comments and feedback on this contribution too.

Theme Area: New Capital

In our discussions the other day we brain stormed the subject of what it means to be a ‘progressive’ in the economic sphere. The key values that emerged from that discussion are:

• Responsible
• Knowledge Economy
• Pragmatic
• Innovation
• Open minded
• Tax structure
• Education
• Understand the triple bottom line
• Work with Nature, not against it

 

Alberta is on the Move

The political landscape in Alberta is starting to move; if you believe the polls it is moving at an unprecedented pace.  The impetus for movement is deep-seated and not unique to Alberta; the economy of the world is undergoing significant changes, changes on the order of the industrial revolution. The economy’s engine of growth is experiencing an historic translation from the mechanical workhorse of the industrial age to the more agile and faster moving mental powerhouse of the new age, as knowledge and the ability to master knowledge becomes ever more valuable.  This economic revolution has created in its wake a host of new knowledge based assets driving new kinds of products and services, which are distributed in new ways to new global markets, but it is also impacting older traditional industries like the oil industry. For example, over the past three decades more petroleum reserves have been ‘discovered’ by advances in technology, than by traditional exploration.

To meet the challenges of this scale of change requires the spirit of innovation and positivism that progressives bring to the table. Many of the concepts we discussed last week (and in Red Deer) particularly the values of being responsible, pragmatic, the value and role of education and working with nature (the land), will  be important in realizing the full potential of this new economic order. Importantly these values have – potentially – deep resonance with Albertans.

The challenge progressives’ face is formidable; for now-a-days Albertans are not thought of, nor do they particularly identify with ‘progressive’ agendas. If anything Albertans are rather proud of the fact that the rest of the country considers them different, outsiders, conservatives.   Although a great portion of the Alberta narrative may well be myth or wishful thinking Albertan’s believe themselves guardians of a proud tradition: we describe ourselves as ‘self made’ individualists, ‘can do’ entrepreneurial types who have created a wealthy and powerful prairie homeland. Albertans are aware that others covet our good fortune and, as a result, have adopted a somewhat defensive, belligerent persona: we’re mavericks and proud of it. This in-your-face persona is conspicuous, particularly in respect to the rest of the country. It is a powerful motivating force for Albertan’s which I believe a re-born progressive movement must align with and advance, not ignore or deny.   

 The Idea of ‘Progress’ is hardwired into the Pioneer Culture of Alberta

The older foundational myth of Alberta, our prairie homesteading story, has roots that are deeply progressive, imbued with a strong community spirit.  Many historical Albertans and most modern urban Albertans have some knowledge of, or direct family connections to, a homesteading past. The stories are all of hardworking grandparents or great grandparents, who braved the trials and hardships of prairie life to create a new and better world for themselves and their children. It’s a powerfully collective narrative, which unites the many different groups and nationalities which came to this country and whose sacrifices and joy’s are our common heritage, whatever our particular background or connection to pioneering.      

Although Albertan’s think they did this all on their own, homesteading was in fact an extraordinary act of social generosity – more importantly it was a progressive initiative from the (now much distrusted) Government of Canada. The entire Federal Homesteading program was rooted in a positivist belief system that ignored the advice of powerful vested interests and literally handed Alberta over to newcomers and immigrants, 160 acres at a time.

The possession of a homestead engendered a great pride of ownership, particularly amongst new immigrants, but homesteading success was due in large part to its ability to leverage the labour pioneer Albertans applied to building buildings, clearing land and otherwise improving the value of the homestead. From an economist’s point of view, ownership of a homestead gave the family multiple sources of value. One, the homestead itself was an accruing asset that was essentially storing their labour in its escalating value; secondly the homestead was leveraging their labour to create a source of income from the production and sale of grain, cattle and other agricultural products, and thirdly the homestead provided a built-in subsistence for their families. As a consequence there was little doubt as to the appeal of homesteading; asset ownership essentially compounded the utility value of labour and stored it for the family; which goes some way to explaining why Albertans cherish the concept of property ‘ownership’ and why pioneers were so highly motivated and hard working.

More importantly the subtleties of homesteading were deliberately designed to develop strong communities; to encourage cooperation between and amongst the various groups who came to Alberta. Ownership of a homestead was conditional, with full title passing only upon the achievement of various milestones; a minimum (usually five-year) tenure, the clearing of a specified amount of land, the planting of various crops etc. Now many of the milestones in homesteading could be met by the family themselves, but building a barn generally required the neighbours’ help. As a consequence a cooperative ‘Barn Raising’ tradition spontaneously emerged amongst homesteaders in the prairie west, as a direct result of the need to meet this obligation both individually and collectively. This created a sense of community spirit and cooperation that survives to this day, particularly in rural Alberta.

The pioneer narrative in Alberta is a progressive success story. A program designed by progressives, appealing to the ‘good angel’ in us all that reinforced the communal values of generosity, inclusiveness and responsibility.  This Alberta narrative is deeply rooted; it solidly established in pioneers a sense of place, a love of the land and its people that makes Alberta one of the most populist democracies in the world. It also made the strongest possible connection between the growth in community values and individual gain – in Alberta there is not the contradiction between these as there are in many other places in the world.

The Oil Country Narrative and the Culture of Alberta

Alberta’s newer myth, the Oil Country myth, built on the original pioneer experience, but has overridden many of its progressive narratives, replacing them with a more conventional Corporate narrative. Whereas the pioneer outlook was expansive and welcoming to newcomers, the Oil Country narrative is materialistic and defensive to the point that today many Albertans’ are suspicious of outsiders and believe that ‘progressive’ agendas of any kind are simply Eastern plots to steal ‘our’ resource wealth.

The influence of the oil industry in Alberta has been profound. The Oilmen arrived at the end of the homesteading era, at a time when the fortunes of our province were at a cross roads. The oil industry (largely American) didn’t have to be convinced about the virtues of Alberta (like many Eastern Canadians), they believed in the future of Alberta’s oil potential, invested considerable sums in Alberta when many others would or could not. As such the industry has earned a special place in the hearts of Albertans.   

The character of the oil industry, however, particularly in the ‘wild cat’ days was quite different from the pioneer experience. Oilmen, unlike farmers, are not stewards of the land, they were (and remain) very opportunistic and exploitative. Indeed in Turner Valley, Alberta’s original oil field, the oil industry flared (burned off) gas from its producing wells for decades. The flames were visible for hundreds of miles; ironically the area where the gas flare burned became a tourist destination known as Hell’s Half Acre – it is to this day an Alberta legend (and National Historic Site). As oil wealth began to flow in Alberta these values soon took on a life of their own, and today are manifest in the much larger Hell’s Acreage compounding hourly near Fort McMurray.

Despite many inherent contradictions the oil business in Alberta has strongly reinforced the connection between the Alberta community and the financial health of the industry. After oil was discovered early in the 20^th century Albertans’ adopted a novel Texan royalty tax scheme which essentially aligned the prosperity of all Albertans to the success and advancement of the oil industry. For many Albertans today the best interests of the oil industry and the public good here in Oil Country are one and the same.

The Challenge for Progressives

 Political movements that align with or co-opt these narratives have dominated Alberta for decades. Basically (simplistically) the United Farmers and Social Credit Party aligned with the older pioneer myth and the Progressive Conservative Party with the Oil Country myth. The PC’s have, over several decades, transformed their own political culture (becoming less P and more C) as the progressive myths and values of old have been systematically replaced by Oil Country values.  The other established parties, the NP’s and the Liberals, for a variety of reasons, have never really connected with the Alberta narrative in a meaningful way.  

 New Capital and the Alberta Economy

The Oil Country myth has been compelling for Albertans largely because it has been a success financially, for the industry, for the province of Alberta and for many businesses and wage earners. However tying our anchor to the Oil Industry as tightly as it is now is very unlikely to deliver the goods in future. The changes that are coming economically will challenge the present ‘exploitation’ business culture, which will need to migrate and eventually be replaced by a more sustainable ‘generative’ commercial culture.

The building of this new Alberta economy will involve the development and incorporation of new (non-traditional) forms of capital, but also bring with it a suite of new capitalist values that will need to be adopted as we move into the next phase in our history. The values that will underpin this new order will be more like the older pioneer values, being more innovative, open-minded and broadly based (more triple bottom line than simply financial metrics).  The oil industry still has a major role to play in the Alberta future. Indeed the industry will be a major driver of this new economy but will need a new mind-set, where instead of simply exploiting resources, the industry is actively working with nature, not opposed to it. Perhaps there will be a return to older concepts of place and stewardship of the land, within a new commercial culture that is both responsible and pragmatic.

A knowledge economy will undoubtedly need a sophisticated and knowledgeable population, and government will be expected to provide the educational infrastructure to support this need.  However what could emerge from this historic transformation is a new role (and possibly new revenue sources) for government. This new role could include, providing not only an educated population and relatively low taxes, but the new infrastructure for the post industrial economy. We will need to rethink and support new systems of management training, accounting, finance and taxation – deliberately targeting and removing roadblocks that  are inhibiting the commercialization pathway, whether they be overly conservative capital markets, lack of expertise, blocked channel (sales and communications) access or  expertise in brand, marketing and sales in key global markets. If we’re clever about it we could also learn from the oil experience and design new (royalty) sources of government revenue in industries outside the oil industry, by coordinating the construction of the launch pads for entire new knowledge based industries.

Economic changes on this scale could radically alter the political dialogue. For instance, an economy where human ‘capital’ becomes THE source of value and competitive advantage will shift the commercial balance of power. This could allow us to finally move beyond the tired industrial age conflicts between management and workers, between left and right.  Importantly in adapting to this new world we’ll open new ‘frontiers’ of commercial opportunity and have the unique opportunity to populate these new frontiers in a progressive ‘neo-homesteading’ way, building on the successes of the past to unleash the energy of new generations.

The Murgatroyd Blog on an Education Charter as a Progressive Principle

Stephen Murgatroyd is a PhD with an eclectic mind that is nimble, observant and curious.  He has done a blog post about some values and principles involving public education policy.  He offers his thoughts as a guest post and to become part of the search for the meaning of being progressive in a 21st century Alberta.  Again give it a read and once you have reflected a bit tell the rest of us your thoughts in comments and feedback.  Here is a link to Stephen’s recent blog post offering to the Reboot Alberta community.  

 http://themurgatroydblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/reboot-alberta-education-charter.html

“What is a Progressive in Alberta” Project

We have our first Draft Discussion Paper contribution on What is a Progressive in a 21st century Alberta from Pam Crosby of Calgary.  Give it a read and give us your thoughts and comments too.  Remember no anonymous comments.

“What does it mean and entail to be a progressive in a 21^st century Alberta?”

                                                            Systems Change

 Within the word [dialogue] we find two dimensions, reflection and action, in such radical interaction that if one is sacrificed – even in part- the other immediately suffers. There is no true word that is not at the same time a praxis.[1] Thus to speak a true word is to transform the world.

Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Context and Question

The Systems that will be referred to in this paper are the Systems that each Albertan interfaces with on a daily basis.  These may include Education, Health, Social Services, etc.  Indeed the Political and Governmental Systems themselves should be considered in the broad definition of Systems that are being referred to here.

 The question asked; What does it mean and entail to be a Progressive in a 21^st Century Alberta in relation to Systems Change will likely be answered by thinking more about the relevance and sustainability of current systems, and then potentially some thoughts or even more questions about what needs to change and how.

Background

The thought about Systems Change occurred to me in about 1994 when I was the Director of Community Development for Canadian Mental Health in the Alberta South Central Region. I remember sitting at my desk wondering why it was that individuals who were born with abilities different from the “norm” had such a struggle to be accepted and find a meaningful place in my city.  That thought led me to think about how “we”, the citizens of this city made our collective decisions  about supporting folks like the ones I was working with and then how those decisions were manifest. I realized then that our collective decisions were realized as a result of those we voted for and put into power; our Political System. Then results of those electoral decisions equates to the development cultural that is Alberta.  The decisions made by those elected  were manifested through the governments internal systems or Ministries.   I wondered then, if the Systems developed at the turn of the last century based on values and realities of a mechanistic society were workable in 1993 and into the future?  These systems, the ones that manage and support the people of Alberta, it occurred to me, were the foundation of all the ways we value; people, economy, nature, education, etc. and were the foundation by which we manage change and plan for the future.  In that nano second what came to my mind was YIKES, we are screwed.

 James Hollis in his book The Middle Passage says; “These seismic ripples may be dismissed by defensive ego-consciousness, yet the pressure builds.  Invariably, long before one becomes conscious of the crisis the signs and symptoms have been there:”[2]  While Hollis in this quote is referring to the earthquake of personal lives, we can extrapolate this to also indicate the ripples in our province that are the precursors to certain crisis.   We can choose to ignore the ripples/signs as small misjudgments or poor decision making, or as Scrooge said of Jacob Marley’s first visit  . . . “a bit of undigested beef”, but if we choose to think a little deeper and look at our leadership and their dependence on systems that are outmoded, unsafe, and unsustainable we begin to realize that the ripple will be an earth quake and the bit of undigested beef is truly the specter of significant change to come. My sense is that we are on the cusp of a catastrophic systems earthquake that will fundamentally change the way we live for generations.  We need to pay attention and make the change now.

Thoughts about solutions

As Progressives, we need to find a way to lead our citizens in thinking together as a province about what we want in all areas of every day life.  First a Vision for the province, and then clearly articulated outcome statements for all critical areas of life; health, education, environment etc. etc.  We then need to think collectively about where responsibility lies for ensuring those outcomes are achieved.  When organizations work together to reorganize and better equip themselves for the future there are a number of steps they take. These include things like understanding the vision and purpose of the organization, development of achievable and measurable outcomes and activities that will ensure the vision is achieved and then finally developing an understanding of responsibility – who does what to achieve the vision and outcomes.  

• A Progressive Group in the 21^st Century would lead a Visioning Process that would ensure citizens of the province have a collective vision for the future of our province.
•  A Progressive Group would then lead in assisting to develop the outcomes that will achieve this collective vision.
•  A Progressive Group in the 21^st Century, as part of this, would help its citizens decide and understand where responsibility lies.  What is the role of the provincial government, of urban and rural governments, of community based bodies and then of citizens themselves.
•  This same Progressive group would then ensure adequate resources to build toward this vision.
•  They would not be afraid if the new Systems did not look the same as they do currently.  What if there was a Person Centered System which included health, social services and education so that people could be supported wholistically rather than as a sum of their parts.
•  They would not be afraid of innovation; they would look to other jurisdictions and systems to see what is working well. They would not be afraid of failure; in fact would celebrate the learning that came from trying and not succeeding in the way intended.

 Referring back to the quote that opened this paper; it seems that Freire was trying to tell us that praxis, the combination of dialogue AND action is what is required to transform the world – or even a small part of it.  If we truly wish to transform our province, to leave a more vibrant and sustainable place for future generations we must all think AND work together from the very fundamentals that we hold dear to make that vision a reality.

---

[1]           Action

            Reflection – together ; word=work=praxis

[2] James Hollis, The Middle Passage;Inner City Books, Toronto, Ontario Canada 1993

Christopher Spencer Adds Historical Perspective on Progressive Movements

I received this guest blog from Christopher Spencer (CKLS on Twitter).  It is a very helpful backgrounder to the work being done within the Reboot Alberta community.  Reboot participants are grappling with the foundational questions of what it means to be a progressive in a 21st century Alberta.  Christopher gives us some Alberta based history on previous progressive movements.  The past becomes prelude – yet again.

Thanks for the contribution to the cause Christopher.

Ken Chapman

The Last Time We Did This Was 1921.

We organized because of our frustration with a tired, complacent government and our wish to pursue a form of politics that emphasized togetherness instead of division.

We pledged to “co-operate with all other groups in the development and passing of constructive legislation.” We would no longer play “the old game of politics by obstructing or opposing what (we believed) to be for the general welfare.”

To pursue the best possible Alberta, we’d turn to pragmatism, not ideology. The economy would be administered efficiently, in the interests of the consumer, with business and labour coming together as partners for the common good. Unions were not intrinsically bad and neither were entrepreneurs. Free trade was something we embraced, but we also argued for nationalization of monopolies and expansion of commodity pools in agriculture.

We were determined to seek a mixed democratic system that included proportional representation and preferential ballots. Members of the Legislature would be “answerable directly” to the constituency, not the party.

In education, our priority was “to provide as far as possible equal opportunities for all the children of all the people.”

Maintaining public health was “a duty of the government.”

Because we wanted to move forward, not left or right, we refused to call ourselves a party. We sought out community leaders and asked them to stand for election. In constituencies where we did not have candidates of own, we endorsed good people, and in the cities we forged partnerships with Labour representatives around the idea of political reform.

On election night, July 18^th, our coalition won a majority of seats: 38 for the Farmers, four for Labour and four independents.

We didn’t have a formal leader so we asked the incumbent Liberal premier, Charles Stewart, to stay on as head of a consensus government. He declined – and ever since, no Liberal has been trusted to lead the province. Herbert Greenfield, one of the vice-presidents of the United Farmers of Alberta, accepted the title of premier, but he spent much of his time working on his homestead near Westlock.

Alberta’s first group government cabinet included a socialist, Alex Ross, as Minister of Public Works. Because backbenchers were not subject to party discipline, defeat of legislation became quite common. There were no closed caucus sessions. The most controversial issue of the era, prohibition, was put to voters to decide directly through plebiscite. Further electoral reform included the introduction of the single transferrable vote, a system which Alberta retained until 1959.

Voters also supported progressive candidates at the federal level. Indeed, in the 1921 general election, neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives managed to win a seat in Alberta. We returned Labourites, Farmers and members of an emerging “Progressive” alliance.

(Canada’s first female MP, Agnes Macphail, was a Progressive. In Alberta, Premier Greenfield asked Irene Parlby of the “Famous Five” to serve as the province’s first woman cabinet minister.)

The principle of direct representation prevented the Progressives from acting as a cohesive entity within the House of Commons. Politics gradually settled back into a left versus right dynamic. Radicals such as Macphail, part of the “Ginger Group,”, helped create the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, predecessor of the NDP.  Others joined the Liberals, the party most amenable to lower tariffs. People who blamed the economic collapse on “bankers’ toadies” embraced Social Credit. A fourth group followed Manitoba Premier John Bracken into a merger with the Tories, forming the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

In Alberta, the Farmers under new leader John Brownlee gravitated toward orthodoxy, abandoning the partnership model and coalescing as a political party. They were obliterated in the 1935 election, losing in every riding.

For a long time, all parties contained progressive components. Probably the most famous of these were the Red Tories, made desert wanderers under the conservatism of Klein, Harris, Manning and Harper. With the left getting rid of impure thinkers who favour partnerships, and the Liberals refusing to adapt to modern circumstances, the tribe of exiles seems to be growing. We have in common a sense that politics is broken and that fixing it will take a great joint effort that exceeds the limitations of ideology.

We want all children to have the opportunity of a good education. We want all patients to have the opportunity of good health care. We want all employees and employers to have the opportunity of contributing to and sharing in good economic fortune. We want all people to have the opportunity to participate in good decision-making processes.

The government is complacent and tired.

Ecclesiastes 1:9: “That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

What lessons can we progressives draw from events that happened 90 years ago?

First, I think, is possibility: people will respond to candidates who are broadly interested in a better world, not trapped in an ideological silo. Voters are clever enough to engage in a discussion about how decisions are made, not just what those decisions should be. The emphasis on slogans and attacks during elections has not benefited any party, but rather caused a majority of people to drop out of that most basic democratic activity – casting a ballot.

Lesson two is to have an organizing vision. If the common denominator is simply disaffection with Ed Stelmach, there is no meaningful mandate to create transformational change. Social movements are about bigger things. They arise out of instability, when old ways of thinking no longer work, and look toward a new kind of order.

Which leads into a third lesson: progressivism comes and goes. It is nearly impossible to institutionalize. Empowered, progressive movements gradually become more conventional. When there is no potential for power, people begin to look for alternatives. In our wildest dreams, we need to accept that we’ll fall short of creating an Albertopia. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

Conversations, connections and new media interactions: they are the tools, but they are also the point. Participation itself is the rebooting of democracy. The change we’ll bring abides in the effort to make change.

With source material from the Glenbow Museum’s UFA fonds, M-1749-18 (political platform and campaign literature for the 1921 election), and King Solomon of Jerusalem

 

Michael Janz has New Blog Post

Michael Janz is involved in both Reboot Alberta and Renew Alberta.  In his recent blog post he explains the differences and the relationships between the two groups.

Renew Alberta is all about starting a new political party.  Reboot Alberta is more focused on forming a social movement.  Reboot Alberta has four theme streams, including but not limited to exploring the idea of a new political party.

Others in the Reboot Alberta community are working on changing existing political parties and institutions from within.  Some focus on bringing a progressive political perspective to Alberta using civil society organizations to press for change.  Some are only interested in pursuing a progressive political agenda as individual engaged, informed and influential citizens.

All elements in Reboot Alberta share concerns with the drift of the political culture in the province towards a Traditionalist and Modernist mindset.  Michael provides a link to a very interesting paper that describes these mindsets and the “New Progressive” perspective that is now emerging.   

One final note: A document I have found very interesting is the New Political Compass: http://www.culturalcreatives.org/Library/docs/NewPoliticalCompassV73.pdf

Is This the Winter of Stelmach’s Disconnect?

There is an astonishing poll results released today that says the Wildrose Alliance would form government in Alberta if there was an election call.  Here is the link to my blog post on the implications and the reality of that poll

New Blogger Emerges Out of Reboot Alberta

Gloria Wells was at the Reboot Alberta launch and as a result has started blogging.  Here is her very first post about the plight of Albertans with Developmental Disabilities.

Give it a read and send her some comments.  I (Ken Chapman) will be posting on the budget cuts imposed on this vulnerable segment of our population.  They suffer enromously as do thier caregivers. 

At the same time I am disgusted by the featherbedding the PC Caucus has done by paying themselves thousands of extra dollars for doing standard government committee work that is secret and behind closed doors.

This is unacceptable at any level.