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Delagates debating.
Photo by John Byrne Barry

by Bill Bianchi
Direction Setting
Delegate Direction Setting

Democracy Breaks Out

When I entered Hall E for the Delegate Direction Setting process I felt pretty good about what might happen, perhaps even a little smug.  I and 700 of my friends were going to design the SC's direction for the next five years.  Surely this would be an exercise in grassroots democracy that the rest of the country could learn from.
 
Our key note speakers, Greg Casini, Carl Pope and especially Lisa Rehnstrom touched on all the right buttons.  This meeting is historical, important and maybe earth shaking.  I felt better, even more smug.

After all, the process looked good on paper.  Most of us had participated in the pre-Summit Direction Setting process.  We had selected eight solid conservation approaches for the next 5 years, and the number one selection by far was Building a New Energy Future.  This approach would highlight Club's future focus.  Everyone seemed to think that the SC new ideas that could stir new constituencies, particularly those not viscerally concerned with saving wilderness or reducing pollution in the abstract.  To me things like Environmental Justice seemed nice, but not key.  The process was working.  We delegates were ready to confirm the selections made in the Pre-Summit process.  I felt content.

But then the cut and dried selection process hit some bumps; debate and dialog broke out, and wow, democracy happened.  Delegates argued that Hurricane Katrina changed our perspective.  It made clear for the nation to see how environmental degradation threatens all and who the most vulnerable victims were.  How did our number one conservation choice address all that?

Voices from the floor debate forced the process to halt.  We became aware that designing a reasonable intellectual appeal for the future wasn't enough.  If SC wants to lead the struggle for a new environmental friendly future, it would have to address what Katrina exposed.  Katrina's victims were our new constituency!

Quickly Carl Pope suggested that we reconfigure one of the approaches, Building Vibrant, Healthy Communities to include the issues of environmental justice and concerns around Katrina.  Though the details weren't spelled out, the floor seems satisfied. 

Voting on our electronic clickers, we decided to move on with the process and the modified conservation approach suggested by Carl. 

At this point I'm not sure how the final result will turn out.  But I am pleased to have been part of a democratic process that jarred a lot of us out of our too satisfied mind sets.  As a result, I believe we'll make better choices.  Stay tuned.

Bill Bianchi

-- 09/08/2005 Thu
4pm