France, Alternative Libertaire AL #246 - Urban Folder:
alternative Democracy: the effect Saillans (fr, it, pt) [machine
translation]
In the municipal spring 2014, the village of Saillans (Drôme) made about him by driving
the local potentate of the Town Hall, to substitute a assembléiste operation. Return on an
amazing self-management approach. ---- In 2011, Saillans, a small village of 1200
inhabitants located in the Diois, began his "revolution." It all starts with the opening
of a local association, The Onion, within the walls of what was, in the late nineteenth
century, the seat of a Republican circle Union. ---- The idea is then to place at the
disposal of people throughout the year and not only during the tourist season. The place
therefore welcomes associations, local producers, organizes debates (on Palestine, Greece,
Chiapas), movies, concerts, etc. Soon, The Onion has over 1000 members: the Saillansons
mainly, but also people from all over the Drôme valley.
The Onion is therefore a must in the village, that members of a stand run by, deciding
collectively agenda and activities. "We are in a self-organization process and decide the
consensus, with the goals of the association as a reference, it is written from the
balance sheet 2012. Respect for equal citizenship therefore made this a place of local
learning of a democratic, that is to say, without hierarchy, based on individual
responsibility.»
Meanwhile, the year 2011 also saw the birth of the association of Saillans Country living,
which is opposed to the establishment of an unnecessary supermarket outside the village -
a unilateral decision of the Mayor (Modem), François Pégon, jeopardizing local businesses.
Country living Saillans then results in the fight all the people of the village: young
farmers, neo-rurals, hunters, retirees, artists, and organizes public AG, demonstrations,
clashes banners balconies. A newspaper is edited, Quèsaco, offering in-depth articles on
democracy, the environment. "Let us be agents of change, proclaims the editorial of No. 1,
Spring 2011. Do not hesitate to interfere in the affairs of the country and be Saillans
same project sponsors. Because the word must be given to you all, because all future
projects should take into account the collective discussion, because a space for debate
and projects undertaken by citizens themselves is more than necessary.»
After two years, the project is abandoned supermarket. This battle was a decisive
milestone in the construction of the self-management approach. The idea of a dissident
list in municipal elections then makes its way to counter a mayor who wants to be the
"boss" of the village.
The list "for other Saillans... together" then is a model of participatory democracy with
a collegial governance. It is the result of hundreds of hours of meetings. His ideal would
have been to stand for election as a collective, but the law is that a person be
designated by name. Vincent Beillard is chosen as the top of the list by his classmates
because he has the time and is not meant to personify the local authority.
Result: March 23, 2014, the collective list wins by 461 votes against 351 to potentate.
The City Council of the diagram is redrawn once: a "council of elders" ensures the smooth
running of participatory democracy and elected officials are all working in pairs. Seven
commissions - development and jobs, economy and local production, environment and energy,
childhood and education, finance and budget, health and social action, sport, heritage and
associations - support each work of elected officials. They expect about 250 participants,
which is considerable in a population of 1200 people.
Block-level inter
If the project was faltering and that there were only a few individuals to make decisions
- as in a traditional council - elected officials promised to resign by refusing to decide
for others.
The most important limitation encountered so far is their non-election to the community of
communes which decides major projects. At the level intercommunal, it is impossible to
impose the participation of citizens in decision making. The Saillansois are ostracized by
other local elected officials who do not hesitate to pass them for hippies utopians. This
is not surprising given that the Mayor (UMP) from Crest, 15 kilometers, is none other than
the hilarious Hervé Mariton...
The capture of the town hall is the result of three years of struggle and questioning the
role of citizens in the city. It is also an awareness of the fact that we can act
collectively and concretely, and do politics without loving power.
Charlotte Dugrand
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?France-Democratie-Alternative-l
