The challenge with government is always how to deal effectively with contentious issues. Municipal politics usually manages that in a way that’s amazingly well-mannered, avoiding the partisanship of party politics with its pendulum swing elections, aggressive public attacks and special interest groups.
Philosopher Simone Weil argued that parties are an unnecessary evil. It’s hard to disagree. Nunavut has operated without parties since the creation of its Legislative Assembly in 1999. Decisions are made by consensus or majority vote. MLAs are elected as independent candidates, selecting the Speaker, Premier and Ministers by secret ballot. Although Ministers are expected to express their thoughts freely in Cabinet and committees, discourse is civil and “once a collective decision has been reached, all Ministers are expected to publicly support it.”
That method of operation is similar to Bahá’í communities, where 9-member Assemblies are elected annually by secret ballot based on each individual’s capacity, character and service. Although frankness is encouraged, “conflict and contention are categorically forbidden” and decisions, once made, must be upheld by all.
An adversarial democracy is antithetical to the traditional values of almost every creed and culture, such as generosity, honesty, kindness, cooperation, and courtesy. Its oppositional nature tends towards paralysis and distrust, at a time when all hands are needed to cooperatively chart the way forward.
It may be time to look at alternatives like Nunavut. We too need a governing structure that aligns with our core values. Fiery speeches and forceful personalities can attract votes and win battles. But a combative orientation is dangerous when complex issues require thoughtful decision-making and long-range planning.
Successfully avoiding polarization begins with the story we tell about ourselves. Author of “Citizens”, Jon Alexander believes the current greedy, self-interested characterization of human nature ignores the fact that humans are highly socialized and evolved in tight, fairly egalitarian communities. He writes that we, as citizens, “are the force that makes the transformation of our world possible, seeding the new institutions and processes that could carry us into the future even as the old story collapses...”
Real citizenship is more than just choosing between the few, sometimes extreme options provided by political platforms. It means finding wisdom in dialogue, and consensus in common ground.
The trend toward identity politics has only increased our polarization. Normally, diversity of opinion is an essential asset, allowing all sides of a question to be considered. That only holds true, though, when people cultivate critical thinking and stay free of the groupthink of entrenched right- or left-wing identities.
The independent investigation of truth is a deeply spiritual principle related to justice. It’s the impartiality and fair-mindedness of justice that allows us to seek the truth and find the best way forward. It’s the power behind individual conscience:
“By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour.” (Bahá’u’lláh)
One of the many promising developments in non-adversarial democracy is . These representative groupings have been adopted in various countries and are invaluable tools for developing common understandings that incorporate complexity and nuance. They fulfil the deep need we all have to contribute, to be heard, and to work together in solidarity.
In fact, independence and solidarity need each other if our goal is a healthy society capable of handling crisis and conflict. Partisan politics needs to give way to a system of governance built on a foundation of individual conscience. Unity in diversity. That’s our superpower.
Sheila Flood is the Executive Director of the Victoria Multifaith Society and member of the Bahá’í community.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking at /blogs/spiritually-speaking
* This article was published in the print edition of the sa国际传媒 on Saturday, October 22nd. 2022
