Does the polarization of American politics undermine arguments for greater cooperation in newer democracies?

It was an interesting program, but one of the most striking things during my visit was that I learned that in the Canton of Solothurn ALL jurisdictional business must be conducted in public.  Imagine that!  An interesting antidote to those who contend that governance conducted in public is merely political theatre.

As the debate over healthcare reform in the US rages, do you think that it would have benefited from more transparency or less?

Many of today’s challenges – Climate Change, Poverty, Hunger, Illiteracy, Oppression of Women – seem beyond the ability of any single person to influence. I’ve created this blog to provide food for thought on the day’s most important issues, and to invite you to share suggestions of concrete things that we as individuals can do to make a difference in some of the big issues of our time.

Sharing stories and ideas is the way that ordinary people can have an impact on the big issues. The goal of exchanging these ideas  is to foster a feeling of  empowerment  that will encourage us to act.

When I helped to create the Club of Madrid – made up of 72 members who have been either President or Prime Minister of their countries, I explained that this group did not assume that we alone could change the world. We know better than anyone what it means to be “former” leaders. But we also know that we can leverage our experience and access to promote democratic values. To explain the role we  play, I coined the term, “a tile in the mosaic of progress,” which is what the ideas of this blog shall be as well.

Please join me in building a new mosaic of positive change, one bite size chunk at a time.

Sincerely,

Kim Campbell