How to inspire the world in under 5 minutes
By Jesi Carson, Lead Designer & Communities Coordinator, Participedia
We’re facing some of the biggest challenges in human history — social, environmental, you name it — and our democratic institutions just aren’t cutting it any more. It’s no wonder many of us feel that democracy is in crisis. Participedia offers inspiration in the form of real-world examples of people stepping up, speaking out, and working together. From the top-down to the bottom-up, on Participedia.net you’ll find countless stories of people coming together to make the world a better place.
As a designer, I use participatory methods in my profession all the time. Creative engagement processes like Idea Jams help designers find out more about participants and collaboratively explore solutions to the challenges affecting them. For example, Vancouver Mural Festival, SFU Public Square, and the Vancouver Design Nerds recently produced the public Time Travellers’ Culture Jam, where participants were guided through hands-on prototyping activities to imagine a thriving future of arts and culture in the city. But that’s just my world. Public participation is all around us, and and it takes many unique forms.
By joining the Participedia community, you can share examples of participatory engagement happening in your world. It’s as easy as clicking “Quick Submit,” and it takes less than five minutes.
The stories on Participedia.net are proof that — not only is it possible to participate in positive change — but leading participatory initiatives in your community is often just as easy. By contributing to Participedia, you’ll help others realize that real change is happening right now!
Public participation has massive potential that has yet to be fully understood, and Participedia is an open source bridge to that knowledge. Your small, fast, and easy contribution will will get us one step closer to understanding why and how participation can revive our democratic institutions, and inspire people to create a better world together.
This is part III in a series on becoming a contributor to Participedia. In part I, an interview with co-founder Mark Warren, delves into the project’s creation and development. In part II, managing editor Scott Fletcher explains how Participedia can restore our faith in democracy through the wide world of “public participation.”
All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Participedia or its partners.
