Direct democracy
Direct participatory democracy (direct democracy or "DD") is also often called consensus decision-making, and differs from so-called "representative" democracy in that the people participate directly in decision-making, without politicians representing them.
This jamahiri system of governing, was the political basis of the Libyan Jamahiriya. A society that governs itself by direct participatory democracy, also called people's power or people's authority, is called a Jamahiriya.
The Green Book makes the argument against alternative forms of democracy and states that "Popular Conferences are the only means to achieve popular democracy. Any system of government contrary to this method, the method of Popular Conferences, is undemocratic. All the prevailing systems of government in the world today will remain undemocratic, unless they adopt this method. Popular Conferences are the end of the journey of the masses in quest of democracy." ... "Authority of the people has but one face which can only be realized through Popular Conferences and People's Committees. There can be no democracy without Popular Conferences and Committees everywhere." Ref: [1]
The consensus method of decision making is discussed in the following additional references and articles which are helpful in understanding the method of direct democracy:
- The Campaign for Direct Democracy Source: People's Assemblies
- Consensus Decision Making Source: Seeds for Change
- Consensus Decision Making Source: Open Politics
- #Occupy: A Primer on Consensus and the General Assembly Source: Daily Kos
Direct democracy has been embraced, as predicted by The Green Book and its author Muammar Qaddafi by popular movements around the world, including the massive uprisings across the western capitalist world, commonly grouped under the label "Occupy".
