Here's my first tentative outline of the Bloggers Parliament project, which I first proposed in my 'non-presidential manifesto' post (Blaugustine, Sept.14). It has also been posted in the WorldView section of Open Source Politics.
If anybody's interested in taking it seriously, why not post this on your own blogs so that a momentum is built up and, who knows, it may actually get somewhere.
I would suggest that the ideas be expressed in as few and as clear words as
possible.
I'm making a separate page on my site to start collecting ideas I come across (or think up) which really might be solutions to one or more of the problem in the categories listed below.
I discovered one yesterday by Aron Trauring:
His 'Modest Proposal' could solve the Israel/Palestine conflict.
BLOGGERS' PARLIAMENT PROJECT
1. To collect the best ideas from the blogosphere which offer feasible solutions to current major problems in the world.
2. Each person who agrees to become a member of Bloggers' Parliament becomes a mini-collection center for those ideas (including their own) which they select as the most relevant and appropriate solutions to the problems in any or all the categories listed below. Obviously their choices would reflect the bloggers' own views.
3. After each member has collected a maximum of, say, five ideas per category, they are posted on their own blogs under a Bloggers' Parliament heading.
4. The entire blogging community (members and non-members of the Parliament) is then invited to vote for which of the solutions collected by all the MP's best fit the specific problems.
5. From the results of the voting, a short list is drawn up and a Solution Package is prepared.
6. The Bloggers' Parliament then presents the Solution Package to the world media, world leaders and/or anyone else who will listen and who may have the means and power to implement the ideas.
Article comments
1 - TDavid
Now that's what I call one lonnnnng link.
2 - Augustine
Help!
How to correct this mistake of the loooong link in the MT posting box?
But apart from that, is anybody interested in joining this 'Parliament?
3 - Mac Diva
I don't believe most bloggers have any solutions to the world's problems -- or their own. You are overestimating this echo chamber of wannabe important people, luv.
On the long link, try editing it. If that doesn't work, email P.W. to fix it.
4 - Natalie Davis
"You are overestimating this echo chamber of wannabe important people, luv."
ROFLMAO! Good one, MD.
At the same time, it seems appropriate to quote Margaret Mead:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."
Seems to me that anything is worth a try.
5 - Augustine
Well, MacDiva luv, do you think that the mediocre and certainly not far-sighted people currently running the world (I could name names but won't bother) are doing such a great job?
Personally, I think there might be a few ideas out there in the blogosphere that are more relevant, appropriate and constructive than anything coming out of the mouths and minds of most of those "important people" in the news.
And by the way, I never said anything about the Bloggers Parliament being aimed at wannabe important people. It's an ideas tank, not self-promotion scheme. And even if there will only be a few really good ones, that's enough. How many people do you need to change a lightbulb?
Thanks for the appropriate M.Mead quote, Natalie/
6 - Phillip Winn
What link? Is it fixed now?
7 - Eric Olsen
I believe I fixed something here a while ago.
8 - Eric Olsen
Oh and BTW, Blogcritics IS an informal blogger's parliament.
9 - Augustine
Yes, I see that,Eric. But the BP I imagine is a bit different in that it's only concerned with collecting solutions to specific problems.
I've got the page up now that describes it all more clearly. It's at:
http://www.nataliedarbeloff.com/bloggersparliament.html
Thanks for fixing the overlong link earlier.
10 - Eric Olsen
No prob, best of luck with it - focus is certainly something we lack here!
11 - Eric Olsen
BTW, the best way to deal with URL's is to make them actual HTML links - that way the address won't appear at all on the page so length won't matter.