Civics and Civility for Capability

From early Governance With RCS

Some "how tos" for civics

Civility is an important part of civics and politics.

 

We can profit by learning:

~ some collaborative leadership.

~ about a deeper level of tolerance.

~ about sources of conflict.

~ how people who are fundamentally different from each other can develop sensibilities that enable them to get along.

~learning about consensus building.

 

We are at our civic best when we:

~ are listening. 

~ are working in partnership with others.

~ lead by example.

~ have the courage to be appropriately humble.

                We have a lot to learn. My old aunt told me that by beginning, we are half way there. After beginning one does ones best by keeping on keeping on.

                                                                RCS

Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do

  Governance With RCS: Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do
               

Organization                 

Your organization can make you a more effective citizen. There seems to be a new or renewed urge toward new political organization and active citizenship these days. Many of us have a growing understanding of democracy. We see that more active citizenship brings more democracy.

                A new organization is much like an old organization. It takes people to organize, but many of those organizing are new not old. Persons new to organizing, especially political organizing, have a lot to learn. Their energy and enthusiasm will be an important aid to their progress. 

                An organization may have a beginning in individual minds, but its realization will be in a group. A group of people is most often a mess and a mess of people is not an organization. To become an organization there are doings such a mess of people must do. They can begin with a bit of togetherness and continue with a growing ability to cooperate. 

                Agreement that a new organization is necessary or a darn good idea can be a useful beginning. Agreement, perhaps tacit, to work together can be another important step. Finding ways to cooperate is important. Old organizers found many ways to facilitate cooperation.

Purpose and Members

                Soon the purpose of the organization must begin to be identified and clarified. Clarification of purpose is an ongoing process and activity. This may often be begun by a small group of leaders, but must be carried on by many others.

                Say that the original growing group is made up of citizens who have discovered that they want a brand new political organization. They have some willingness to work together. The also have understandings and misunderstandings to work out. A lot of work.

                Members of this very new organization need to maintain an ongoing understanding of the aims, values, and wants of others in the organization in so far as they affect the organization. Not easy, but important to their ability to increase their effectiveness.

Benefits              

  An important benefit of an organization is that which needs to be done, need not be done by one or a very few, but rather can be shared among and by all members. In fact the more involved with the important work of the organization that are all members, the better the moral and effectiveness of the organization is likely to be. 

                The members of a well functioning group can feel themselves to be effective doers, and can be those effective doers in fact.

There are some doings and practices which have helped others to start and maintain their organization.

Doings and practices to begin promptly:

~ Consider how you intend to keep in contact.

~ Begin identifying your goals and aims.

~ Clarify goals and aims.

~ Restate goals and aims.

~ Arrange to have each member help to achieve these goals and aims.

~ Take care of all business promptly.

~ Arrange for the ongoing education for all members.

~ Practice dialogue skills.

~ Arrange for members to have opportunity to be educators.

~ Enjoy your participation.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be very good, but seldom as good as that which we do for ourselves. As we teach, we learn.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust of one another.

~ Keep in mind that the fewer the secrets the better. "No secrets" is a good policy.

~ Be inclusive.  as a policy, help anyone who wants to be a member to be one.

~ Encourage equality.

~ Remind one another that each of you is important to and responsible for the maintenance of your organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for achieving important and doable goals and plans for your organization.

~ Aims and goals ought to be not only doable and important but also be an attractive and challenging big deal.

~ Set out one or two doings or goals to be worked on today. Your organization will benefit by having important things to be done right now.

~ Keep in mind that there is much to be done and that each member ought to help with those doings.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. "Learning, teaching, and practicing democratic self governance for all" might be an example of such a vision.

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self-governance.

                There was a 'comments' window below for comments on the content of this posts.

                Have you already reviewed the other posts on the Governance site. 

                                                                                                           RCS

Civics for the Brave and the Free

Some "how to" for civics

Civility is an important part of civics and politics.

We can profit by learning:

~ some collaborative leadership.

~ about a deeper level of tolerance.

~ about sources of conflict.

~ how people who are fundamentally different from each other can develop sensibilities that enable them to get along.

~learning about consensus building.

 

We are at our civic best when we:

~ are listening. 

~ are working in partnership with others.

~ lead by example.

~ have the courage to be appropriately humble.

                We can practice and learn and, we can learn and practice. My old aunt told me that by beginning, we are halfway there. After beginning one does one's best by keeping on keeping on.

                                                                RCS

Mago Bill Organizing power: including self governance, democratic social governance, and effective organizing. A beginning

 Mago Bill Governance: Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do

                Your organization can make you a more effective citizen. There seems to be a new or renewed urge toward new political organization and active citizenship these days. Many of us have a growing understanding of democracy. We see that more active citizenship brings more democracy.

                A new organization is much like an old organization. It takes people to organize, but many of those organizing are new not old. Persons new to organizing, especially political organizing, have a lot to learn. Their energy and enthusiasm will be an important aid to their progress. 

                An organization may have a beginning in individual minds, but its realization will be in a group. A group of people is most often a mess and a mess of people is not an organization. To become an organization there are doings such a mess of people must do. They can begin with a bit of togetherness and continue with a growing ability to cooperate. 

                Agreement that a new organization is necessary or a darn good idea can be a useful beginning. Agreement, perhaps tacit, to work together can be another important step. Finding ways to cooperate is important. Old organizers found many ways to facilitate cooperation.

                Soon the purpose of the organization must begin to be identified and clarified. Clarification of purpose is an ongoing process and activity. This may often be begun by a small group of leaders, but must be carried on by many others.

                Say that the original growing group is made up of citizens who have discovered that they want a brand new political organization. They have some willingness to work together. The also have understandings and misunderstandings to work out. A lot of work.

                Members of this very new organization need to maintain an ongoing understanding of the aims, values, and wants of others in the organization in so far as they affect the organization. Not easy, but important to their ability to increase their effectiveness.

                An important benefit of an organization is that which needs to be done, need not be done by one or a very few, but rather can be shared among and by all members. In fact the more involved with the important work of the organization that are all members, the better the moral and effectiveness of the organization is likely to be. 

                The members of a well functioning group can feel themselves to be effective doers, and can be those effective doers in fact.

                There are some doings and practices which have helped others to start and maintain their organization.

Doings and practices to begin promptly:

~ Consider how you intend to keep in contact.

~ Begin identifying your goals and aims.

~ Clarify goals and aims.

~ Restate goals and aims.

~ Arrange to have each member help to achieve these goals and aims.

~ Take care of all business promptly.

~ Arrange for the ongoing education for all members.

~ Practice dialogue skills.

~ Arrange for members to have opportunity to be educators.

~ Enjoy your participation.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be very good, but seldom as good as that which we do for ourselves. As we teach, we learn.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust of one another.

~ Keep in mind that the fewer the secrets the better. "No secrets" is a good policy.

~ Be inclusive.  as a policy, help anyone who wants to be a member to be one.

~ Encourage equality.

~ Remind one another that each of you is important to and responsible for the maintenance of your organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for achieving important and doable goals and plans for your organization.

~ Aims and goals ought to be not only doable and important but also be an attractive and challenging big deal.

~ Set out one or two doings or goals to be worked on today. Your organization will benefit by having important things to be done right now.

~ Keep in mind that there is much to be done and that each member ought to help with those doings.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. "Learning, teaching, and practicing democratic self governance for all" might be an example of such a vision.

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self-governance.

            There is a 'comments' window below for comments on the content of this posts.

            Thank you very much for reading.

                                                                                                                        RCS

 

Memories of Covid 19

 Faith, Governance, This Virus, and Lessons To Be Learned

            Poor health is keeping me from posting much these days, but just now I feel stirred to write and publish this post.

            The genesis of this stirring seems to start as follows: Yesterday evening I watched a bit of a YouTube video by Richard Wolff. I suspect that I did not even watch it to its end. Last night I had dreams about our wars and dreams about our political beginnings. Vietnam seems to have dominated those about our wars and that dreams of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.

            This morning I awoke slowly, feeling weak, fatigued, and exhausted as has been usual in recent weeks. However, I soon remembered something of my dreams and tried to remember more of them with little success. Then I began to recall a bit of the Wolff video to which I had not paid close attention.

            It seems from my present perspectives that the video was about Lessons Learned (or learnable) from our Covi experience. I have not tried to revisit that video as I believe I would have in other days; so, some of what I write now may be more Sheehan than Wolff.

            As I remember, Mr. Wolff chose the following countries useful for comparing the quality of their dealings with The Virus. The countries he chose as good examples of dealing effectively with Covi: China and New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea, Cuba and Vietnam. The two countries he chose for dealing poorly with that virus were the United Kingdom and the United States. Wolf, it seemed, felt that he saw evidence that the people of the first six countries also had more faith in their government than the last two I mentioned.

               I believe that such comparing of the governance of a people with their ability to deal with This Virus, could aid us in learning an important lesson or two.

            Wolf himself seemed to believe that he had evidence that the people of the first six countries demonstrated a belief that their government had the power and ability to deal well with the Virus and so cooperated in that dealing. Wolff also seemed to have thought that the people of The U.K. and The U.S. did not have faith that, at this time, their government was ready, willing, and able to deal with This Virus successfully. 

            Do you think that our dealing with The Virus has to do with our faith in our government/governance? What do you think we might learn from our experience with the Virus? What is the state of our faith in our government? What would you like the nature of our governance to be? What is our responsibility for the nature of our government? What important governance might we be able to learn? What would be a good simple measure of the quality of our dealing with this Virus? Would the % of deaths or the number of deaths per hundred be a useful measure? What could we learn, that is useful, by looking at more successful dealing with the Virus as compared with the real nature of governance of, say, 100 countries? How might the U.N. be useful in this effort? Why? How might my going back to bed and forgetting about all this be helpful?

            My questions above may be taken as rhetorical, but there is a window below called "comments" and sometimes "no comments!" I that window you may put questions of your own, or answer mine, or make comments, or one comment.

            Thanks for reading.

 

 

                                                                                        RCS

 

Active Citizen Two

Citizenship and Governance: A Brand New Political Organization.

        Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations for many reasons: a new national party, a coalition, an ad hoc effort to promote a special bill or effort, for social betterment, and on and on. They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens. They are expecting wider participation in self-governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

            There is much which needs to be done and many of us to do it. However, just now I will offer a list of hints which may prove helpful to an organizer. 

The hints for civic organization:

~ Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member, be a member.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be useful, but that which we do for ourselves is more important. Each a learner, each a teacher.

~ Clarify aims and goals. Restate them often. Better them when you can.

~ Arrange to have each member have opportunities to help in achieving those goals. How will that be done?

~ Arrange to take care of all business promptly. How will it be done.Arrange for the ongoing education of all members. That's education in the skills and understandings necessary to the organization and organizational aims.

~ Make each member an educator. You do not have to use any of these hints; but anyone of them can be very useful.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust in each member.

~ The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

~ Let each member know that he or she is participating in the creation and nourishing of the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for accomplishing the important doable goals of your organization. 

~ Remember you are not alone. You are part of an organization. laying out, demonstrating, making, and doing are group affairs and  doings. Members want to be active. Let them be active. 

~ It is best that a goal members undertake not only be important and doable, but also ought to be attractive, challenging, and a big deal.

~ Set out a goal or two to be completed today. That is you as in you all set out a goal. You all want your orgainzation to be where the "doings" are.

~ Each member deserves a worthy job he or she can work right now. What a power house an organization can be! Your organization is a big powerful group.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. A grand vision for me might be the ongoing practice of active self-governance. or the ongoing practice of participatory democracy.

~ Ends, goals, objectives, aims can all be good. However, to be well done is important and the way it is done can be the most important.  

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing active self-governance of the whole. Begin with "how to do" teach-ins.

            May these hints/suggestions help you in your action plans.

We have a lot to learn and a lot to do. Its great that there are a lot of us to help with that learning and doing. 

As That Active Citizen and As a participant in a meeting it is fair and useful to:

~ Show up.

~ Speak up.

~ Name the problem.

~ Team up.

~ Find a partner.

~ Frame the discussion.

            That is: be there; address the group; Clarify the topic; Identify those of like mind; make a friend; listen and learn; sum up what the meeting has been about.

            It all starts with showing up and being there.

            Thank you for reading.

 

 

                                                                  RCS

 

 

The Bush Crime Family - The Mafia, CIA and George Bush

We have a lot to learn.  I hope we learn to govern without doing this. We do need the help a great deal of investigative journalism. These backstories are good for those new to the doings of those in government when we refuse to govern. 

We have heard the word "deregulation."

The Men Who Killed Kennedy - Part 9 - The Guilty Men (2003)

What are we doing to keep informed about that which is going on now? We are a nation not a kingdom. Why we do not put our trust into ourselves and not into a him or a her? How would you like your children to get their information? How should our youth be educated to be responsible for their governance and well capable of their responsibility?

Noam Chomsky on Democracy

More public participation. More choice. I can participate. What is our present method of effective participation in governance?

New: CIA Agent Whistleblower Risks All To Expose The Shadow Government

Wealth. honor, reality, us, governance. Who are we? Who do we want to be? Who can we be? Did we not have a Constitution that was the center of  the United STATES of America.

Mago Bill: a little backstory

Mago Bill animates my connection to history, and more.
He connects me to the US and to the history of Ireland, and from there to history far and wide. "He" helps me to get far back into ancient history and prehistory. And, it seems that, there is a very far back.
* He seems to help me to explore time and space.
* He helps me to see aspects of the ageless wisdom teaching anew.
* He helps me to fresh views of governance, politics, and philosophy.

I need all the help I can get.

A Mago Bill may well have been my paternal great grandfather.

Mago is a very old Irish name, probably picked up from the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians. In the US the name seems to have given Mago some trouble. For there he began to sign his name M. William Sheehan.

                    Here it does not seem unreasonable to add a bit about the connection I feel between Mago and Sheehan. As a US citizen my paternal great grandfather was M. William Sheehan. As I have indicated earlier the "M" stood for Mago. Mago is not an easy name to carry in the U.S. William is a more well known in the US and many Williams are call Bill or Will. As I continue to explore her on thus blogsite, I find it historically significant. The name Mago Bill may be used only by me. I use it because it causes me to smile and site up straight. There are several post at this site that mention Mago, Mago Bill, or both. By looking you are likely to find something of interest to you.

 

 



RCS is the way I will note that a post an essay or the like is written by

Richard Carroll Sheehan

The Next America: The Emerging New Direction as the Old Order Decays

The US has more criminals per capita than any other country. And some very informative real economics.
Rather than more criminals I should perhaps say prison inmates.

Do You Know About The Act of 1871 Teach this in your School

Each opinion has some value. In each opinion some meaning, understanding, and experience may be found worthy.
We can wake up to the value of our law.