Towards a Global Referendum
Olof Palme and Anna Lindh envisioned “Living Citizenship” focused on citizens, not institutions. Peer Democracy, emerging 40 years later, allows individuals to vote annually on one selected issue, enhancing engagement and expertise. This model resolves the competence gap in decision-making, promoting a more informed and participatory democracy through a scalable app.
Peer Democracy versus Liquid Democracy is a matter of avoiding power concentration. In liquid democracy, power flows inevitably to the most popular and charismatic persons. Peer democracy makes it impossible by limiting the power and preventing trading and delegation.
We distinguish between the foundational idea of Equal Democracy and the evolutionary step of Peer Democracy.
Do you trust your government to make rational decisions?
Most of us know something is fundamentally wrong. I argue the flaw is inherited: our “modern” democracy is built on the blueprint of the kingdom it replaced. It forces the noble Decision Game (collective good) to constantly battle the selfish Power Game (personal gain).
When decisions are made for strategic advantage rather than public interest, the whole system breaks. We watch politics as entertainment while the real work crumbles.
Read my latest post on why we must perform “systemic surgery” to save democracy by eliminating the quest for power.
We all have ideas about how society should be governed, but we lack the time to engage. Besides, we aren’t interested in every single issue. This is a crucial challenge that modern democratic systems struggle with. The solution? Peer Democracy (PD). Peer Democracy (PD) or Equal Democracy (ED) is a decision-making process built upon a … Read more
There is a dangerous myth about democracy that slowness has an eigenvalue. The slow movement is an initiative that advocates for a slower pace of modern life. It encourages individuals to embrace a more thoughtful and deliberate approach. It was an offshoot of the slow food movement, which began in 1986 as a protest against … Read more
The Moral Compass is always needed. This is why Equal Democracy has a single, simple, and universally defensible moral principle: Avoid Unnecessary Harm. The challenges facing humanity—from the climate crisis to the governance of transnational corporations—are complex, urgent, and global in scope. A new system of global governance, such as Peer Democracy (PD), must not … Read more
Democracy doesn’t just produce decisions—it builds trust. Research consistently shows that democratic participation creates social capital, strengthens institutional legitimacy, and forms the bedrock of welfare societies. When citizens have a genuine voice in decisions that affect them, they trust not only the outcomes. They also trust each other and the institutions that serve them. Building … Read more
The contemporary political landscape reveals a troubling pattern. There is increasing polarization and the rise of left and right-populism. Bitter conflicts over identity politics pit traditional values against modern perspectives. Commentators often attribute this to social media, economic anxiety, or cultural shifts. I believe these are symptoms of a deeper structural problem—the fundamental binary nature … Read more
The Myth of Ideology in Political Parties is debunked. The Iron Law of Oligarchy tells that the idea is not to represent people’s will but to maintain power.