This is a guest post by Guy Aitchison

The word “crisis” is perhaps one of the most over-used in the lexicon, but when it comes to the astonishing collapse of political and economic orthodoxies in recent months it rings undeniably true.Is it a "good" crisis? Established modes of
thinking and organisation have been de-legitimated but it's not yet clear that anything radically new or different is going to take their place. Thinkers like Jeremy Gilbert have joined a growing call for new democratic forms to give individuals more meaningful control over their own lives, but so far the response from the political elite can best be described as “reforming so as to preserve”.

Can anything positive be taken from the simultaneous collapse in trust in the political system and the financial markets? How do we build beyond this crisis to secure much better liberty and democracy in the 21^st century?

This Saturday at the Compass conference a panel of thinkers and activists will discuss these questions and more at a workshop on "Radical democracy and imagination: people and power after the meltdown". Come and join the discussion.

It's taking place 1.30 – 2.45pm at the Institute of Education in Bloomsbury. On the panel will be Anthony Barnett (founder of openDemocracy, first director of Charter 88 and Co-Director of the Convention on Modern Liberty), Stuart White (Oxford University; Next Left), Liam Taylor (Climate Camp) and David Babbs (38 degrees) and hopefully Suzanne Moore (Mail on Sunday).

We'll be launching a major initiative at the conference to help build an open movement for democratic reform to influence candidates and parties before the next election. There are lots of other great speakers and workshops there too. If you haven't got a ticket already, you can turn up on the day and as there's a handful left.

—–

Guy Aitchison is a contributing editor at openDemocracy.

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   New post: Radical democracy and imagination – catch openDemocracy at the Compass conference http://bit.ly/3w1R6M

   [Original tweet]

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.