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Omar introduces our new wildly ambitious goal - Participatory Melbourne and what we're excited about embarking on together.
Where are we now?
Communities are at their strongest when voices are represented, perspectives are valued, and individuals are empowered to enact change. Despite the surface level health of some of our democratic processes, we know there are challenges including political division, mistrust, bureaucratic obstacles, no clear pathway from ideas to action, and ambiguity around what "democratic health" means.
Too often, we find ourselves mired in bureaucracy and lip service participatory processes. In our co-creation of theMelbourne Doughnut, we heard that getting to the safe and just space requires participation, agency, and an equitable political voice.
How do we reach a new paradigm that allows for decision making across sections of society while holding the tension between the individual and the collective?
Where to from here?
Regen Melbourne is grounded in research and action, so we are embarking on an ambitious experiment. This is where Participatory Melbourne comes in.
Participatory Melbourne is a collaborative initiative between theCoalition of Everyone, Swinburne University[Australian Leadership Index], andMenzies Foundation that's all about building experiments that generate community agency, increase trust, create connectedness, and inspire active participation.
Participatory Melbourne adds the following into the rich ecosystem of participatory actions:
Co-creating a participatory movement which enrols diverse actors
Operating with a systems view
Our three main partners come from different worlds providing rich tension
A stronger mandate to convene and act
By fostering empathy, promoting voice and agency, and recognising unique perspectives, we can build a more regenerative, equitable future for all.
