Expanding Democracy
Participation, Belonging, and Collective Action
I write this on election day in Ireland. In each election day, I feel a familiar buzz of energy, a mix of hope and responsibility. Participating in the democratic process stirs something deeply emotional, even though I am fully aware of its flaws. Across the world, democracy is under threat—some places have lost it entirely, while others limp along, distorted by media control and elite power structures. No system is perfect. Yet, for much of my life, I have worked toward fostering more participative and democratic cultures, whether in politics, workplaces, or society at large.
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From the Streets to the Ballot Box
As a young anarchist, trade unionist, and social activist in the 1980s, my engagement with democracy went far beyond voting. Those years were filled with direct action: raising money for striking workers resisting Margaret Thatcher's neo-liberal assault on society, non-violent marching in London to support the miners, defending the NHS, and protesting against apartheid or for CND and other international injustices.
We marched with serious aspirations for direct democracy but also with playful defiance. One of my favourite anarchist chants involved a call-and-response:
“What is property?” my friend would shout from one side of the street.
“Property is theft!” I’d reply from the other.
Other slogans tackled the systemic flaws we saw in representative democracy:
“Whoever you vote for, the government will win.”
And the classic: “Unemployment and inflation are not caused by immigration. Bullshit! Come off it! The enemy is profit!”
Even back then, I felt scepticism toward messianic leaders like Arthur Scargill, who seemed to embody the top-down structures I resisted. More recently, hearing the chants of “Ohhhh Jeremy Corbyn” at Glastonbury gave me a similar sense of déjà vu. True change, I believed then as I do now, would come not from Messiah leaders but from the grassroots—from movements like the feminist protests at Greenham Common, where women modelled a pre-figurative, direct-democracy approach in their anti-nuclear campaign.
Beyond Representative Democracy
As important as voting is, it represents only a small fraction of what democracy can and should be. Throughout history, women and other marginalised groups have fought tirelessly for the right to vote. Yet democracy doesn't stop there. A truly participative society includes activism, social movements, civic engagement, citizen assemblies, and the many voluntary and paid organisations that form the backbone of civil society.
At the Eco-Leadership Institute, we emphasise the deep connection between civil society and the workplace. “Organisations Belong” is one of our principles. Organisations are not separate from their communities, or from the environment; they belong to them. They influence everything from local economies to global environments. By maximising participation within organisations, we not only empower employees with greater autonomy but also create more engaged, dynamic, and effective workplaces. Enriched workplaces listen to the voices near the edge, closest to the customer or service user and the voices of local communities. Decentralisation has to be balanced with a central hierarchy, we are not naive, but we are making organisations more transparent and engaging wider stakeholders. Another principle we share is that organisations should not only be aiming for profit, growth or success but also be tied to “Social Purpose”. Organisations that engage with their ecosystems, and have a social purpose that aligns with their organisational functional purpose, are so much more dynamic.
Rethinking Democracy in Everyday Life
When you think of democracy, don’t limit it to majority voting or political institutions. Democracy should permeate all levels of society, including hierarchical organisations. Ask how can we push the boundaries to:
Increase participation throughout the whole organisation and beyond?
Unleash leadership beyond C-suite leaders and the boardroom?
Ensure minority voices are heard and engaged as mutual actors?
There’s no single answer or quick fix. Instead, democracy is a living process—one that requires us to wake from our collective paralysis and slumber and embrace the untapped power within our social and organisational ecosystems.
A Call to Action
Take a moment to reflect on what democracy means to you. What freedom means to you, what participation means to you. Think of democracy not as a one-off vote or a finished product, but as a continuous journey. How can we, in our workplaces and communities make civil society more participative, inclusive, and vibrant?
The answers lie not in waiting for a saviour leader or an ideal system but in our willingness to act with individual and collective agency. Together, we can create a more democratic future—one decision, one conversation, and one movement at a time.
Re-enchanting Our Worlds is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.