Let's talk about this one: Convene a citizens' constitutional assembly.
How do we invite the participation of 23 million people to a discussion process?
The referendum process is all about the decision and not about dialogue and discussion, the thinking-through process leading up to the decision. It's an incomplete process, because the real participation is in the thinking it through part, not making the decision at the end.
What are the conditions for effective dialogue between parties?
-you would need pre-agreement about what is an is not available
the questions under discussion are handed out first, and anonymously answered, to prevent opinions being influenced by louder people, or prevent people worrying about offending people, for people who feel unsafe in the process
-there's four-step process:
1. Before the discussion, think about the strengths, or what you like about the other person, so you feel more positive about them, or less emotional
2. Talk about own misbehaviour, maybe wrong tone etc., what i might have done to hurt you, what i appreciate about you. And this helps bring people into harmony
3. Talk about what help is needed from other party, or how you've been hurt, and this is why i don't appreciate what you've done, what you can do to fix it
4. During this time, advice is not allowed, you must practice deep listening.
a neutral party must be present in this process
then the next party also says this, and the original party practices deep listening.
i’ve done this process, and it brings useful results, people don't get offended and also offensive. It doesn't just be about what the other party should be responsible for, it also is about what i should be responsible for.
Tekna Han is the teacher for this method, he works with the palestinians and israelis.
it takes more than one discussion of course, but you have deeper understanding of the hurt of everybody, and people understand why they feel hurt, and people can begin to feel like brothers.
-huan ge weizi, huan ge zhao dai. If you're defensive, then you have to come up with so many persuasive arguments. If we have this debate, maybe i'm a kmt but i have to come up with ideas about why the dpp would argue for this, and vice versa, so when your role changes, you can see how the thinking would change. This would help us understand our counterparts point of view. Because all the fights are starting from , why aren't you behaving like this?
Yes the point is understanding!
I feel like taiwan is very divided, you're green or your blue, or you're indifferent.
[laughter]
It's true!!!
When you say your opinions, they're not even listening to you, they're already labelling you. Like the student movement, people are trying to put it in context of green-blue.
I think maybe it's because of their framework is too rigid, they have a new block, but they're trying to put it in the round hole or the square hole, but it's shaped like a remote control!
So maybe this movement will help people stop thinking in terms of parties, and just thinking in support of taiwan
So the question here is, not how do we propagandise 23 million people, but how do you get people on such a large scale to talk to each other?
Well, there's the issue of the people who are indifferent, who don't want to pay attention, are also the ones saying, who do you say you are to represent us?
They don't want to pay attention, but they don't want anyone else to represent them either?
Maybe they haven't found a safe point to jump in on supporting?
But they seem to be actively covering their ears, to not find a place to come in the discussion.
The students are asking for a monitoring mechanism.
But it can't be just some committee, a few guys who are in control with no review by the people.
It's got to be more complex than just a referendum, where it's just a decision with no discussion in advance.
I think what we need is social network of some sort set up by the government with a mechanism whereby what people are deciding is reliably implemented. Taiwan has the technology, and the software engineers to make such a system, but it would have to be set up really carefully. It's difficult, but possible.
Pay attention without being reactive = deep listening
