Guerilla gardening for participatory democracy

[Michael Allan]

>                        (I)  (K)  (L)
>                          \ 1 | 1 /
>                           \  |  / 1    (A)   (B)
>                  (P)  (O)  \ | /        | 1  /
>         (R)        \ 1 |    \|/         |   / 1
>           \ 1       \  | 1  (M)         |  /
>            \         \ |     |          | /  (E)  (F)
>             \         \|     | 4        |/    | 1 /
>          1   \        (Q)    |         (C)    |  / 1
>      (S)-----(T)        \ 3  |          |     | /
>                \ 3       \   |          | 3   |/
>                 \         \  |          |    (H)-----(G)
>                  \         \ |    (D)   |    /     1
>       1       2   \         \|      \ 1 |   /
>   (U)-----(V)-----(W)       (N)      \  |  / 4
>                     \ 6     /         \ | /
>                      \     / 8         \|/
>                       \   /            (J)
>                        \ /
>                        (X)              8
>                                        ---
>                         14
>                        ----
> 
> So group J(D,C,H) is in one forum, while H(E,F,G) is in another.
> Note that delegate H is necessarily in *both* forums.  So I guess
> the recruitment of non-gardener, cross-forum delegates will be
> crucial to the method.

I have one possible solution.  It's pretty simple.  Imagine C and H
have no voters yet.  (So it's a tiny seedling, just germinated.)
They're in discussions with J in the first forum J(D,C,H).

D is a gardener.  She's helping to keep the discussion alive at the
root.  Meanwhile F and G are gardeners working in a 2nd forum,
disconnected from the first.

Here's the plan: all the gardeners together identify H as the most
promising delegate.  F and G then *vote* for H, and simultaneously
invite her to come and hammer out issues with them, in the 2nd forum.
H then comes to be participating in two forums.  (This makes sense,
because it means J won't be overwhelmed by all the chatter further up
the tree, as it grows.)

Repeat.  The gardeners move to wherever support and new growth are
needed.  Eventually the seedling is strong enough to grow on its own.
Eh?  Will it work?

I'll draw up some proper pictures, so it's clearer.  More soon,
-- 
Michael Allan

Toronto, +1 647-436-4521
http://zelea.com/