In an exciting first, Really Local and the Castlemaine Institute Democracy Lab are hosting a Castlemaine Festival for Democracy this Thursday, November 12 – a day of conversation, ideas and connection exploring what a genuinely citizen-led democracy could look like.
In a moment when cynicism about politics runs deep, this is a chance to step back from despair and imagine what a stronger, more participatory democracy could feel like, and what it would take to build it.
Really Local founder and lead for the Castlemaine Institute Democracy Lab, Bryn Davies, said democracy was never meant to be something we did only every three years.
“It is about getting involved and taking the opportunities we have (and making them!). And learning how to work together as a community,” he said.
The festival will start at 9.30am with guest speakers: advocate, advisor and former MP Zoe Daniel, the presenter of the podcast ‘Democracy After Disaster’ Kate Lawrence and members of the newly formed Voices for Bendigo.
In the afternoon, there will be a hands-on session on the skills democracy needs (listening, disagreeing, reaching consensus) with Really Local’s Jim Buckell, who said democracy was about people coming together and having tricky conversations without abuse.
“It’s all about being part of something bigger than ourselves and doing it with compassion and goodwill,” he said.
“We do this every day in our families, households and neighbourhoods. If we can scale that up to communities, shires and cities, there’s nothing we can’t do.”
Internationally renowned psychology researcher Paul Atkins will lead ‘democracy games’, and local facilitator Lucy Mayes will lead a fictional-world role play.
“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the divisiveness and abuses of power we see in democracies around the world, and to lose sight of a path towards meaningful participation,” Lucy said.
“I’ve been so grateful to find this community of passionate, skilled people who ask important questions and bring hope and possibility to the table.
“My hope is that the festival draws a wonderfully diverse crowd, so that together we can experience what unites us rather than what divides us, and how we might be better able to bring diversity, respect and participation to our democratic processes.”
The Dinner for Democracy, held at Boomtown, will see the official launch of the Mount Alexander People’s Assembly led by musical MC Will Tait; stories will be shared as he corrals the room to ‘write a letter’, which he will put to music for the night’s celebratory finale.
“I’ve seen so many stories from across the world of communities coming together to take the future of their places into their own hands,” Will said.
“It’s really exciting to be bringing stories like these together with local voices – it feels like we’re building a groundswell of possibility on Djaara Country.”
The festival is non-partisan and shows that democracy is for everyone. So come along if you’d like to find out what it is all about.
You can book for one session or all three at www.reallylocal.au
