Watershed Democracy is democracy legitimised through

• the constitutional integration of sortitioned deliberative citizens and peoples forums with    sovereign powers to augment elected representation and,

• the alignment of democratic unit borders with naturally discreet regions.

It is a nesting of democratic systems to help humans to “fit in” ecologically, with the wider environment and, equitably, with each other.

DDNetworkers are developing sketchplans to map

• idealised democratic frameworks, 

• pathing towards a build,

• meaningful and rapidly realisable start points, 

and the campaign.

Promotions across 2026 will include:  

Promotion 1: the “How We Fit In” Year Planner for 2026 and beyond 

A pointillist illustration of the sketchplan on a wall-hangable calendar to be sent to local government politicians in Britain aimed at lifting gaze and ambition, and in a preparatory seeding of the wider campaign. The promotion is now live - see News.

Promotion 2: Nesting Democracy starting with Richmond

An exhibition illustrating the nature and rationale for Watershed Democracy, with a suggested start point in one local government unit within the Thames River watershed in south east England. The exhibition is drafted with launch planned for June 2026.

Promotion 3: Democratic Structure for an Interdependent World

A zoom conference with focus on responsibility flows, trade and pollution (date TBC).

To get a flavour of the gestating campaign for Watershed Democracy stay tuned and/or subscribe to our Newsletter. And you can join our monthly online campaign meet the 4th Tuesday of every month. To attend please get in touch using info@deliberativedemocracy.net.

Policy Draft

In the pursuit of the deepening enfranchisement and flourishing of the people of XXXX, and the wider flourishing of all people and of the planet, (we, the XXXX party / I, xxxx, standing as an Independent) will, upon election, commit to pursue the integration of Deliberative Democratic Structures within those of the existing Legislature and wider Governance Systems of XXXX,

and,

this will include giving permanent powers to Citizens in Sortitioned Deliberating Forums to

- initiate legislation,

- provide advice to governments during the drafting of legislation and the development and implementation of policy,

- assent or veto proposed legislation or, to refer it back to Parliament for rethinking, subject to majority or agreed (super) majorities,

and, this will include the convening of a Citizens Assembly(s) to

- deliberate and agree the design of such new Democratic Structures,

- set out a programme for the provision of information about the principles and the agreed design to all Citizens, with appropriate controls in respect of the spread of misinformation,

- and a timetable for the adoption of the new Structures subject to and including, a Citizens Referendum.

Why this Initiative?

Many people and organisations are already campaigning for Deliberative Democracy, and this Initiative is intended to help - both to add to general momentum, and to focus efforts towards a clear objective with transformative potential.

The Initiative is an invitation to all those with a care and interest in Legitimising Our Democracies and, so, the making of a future by fair agreement, across all jurisdictions, to endorse a proposal to enhance and legitimise our Democracies through the incorporation of Deliberative Democratic structures within those of our existing Representative Democracies and, specifically, empowered with legislative authority. 

It is aimed in particular at Political Parties, and Members and Candidates to Parliament, since it is only the Legislature that can write into law new Democratic structure and, so, without corresponding activist targeting there will be no change.

When presented with the prospect of Democracy that actually works - 

we should expect even the most democratic of elected parliamentarians and their influential backers will vehemently campaign against any separation of powers wherein sovereign decision making is shared and in favour of the retention of all final decisioning with representatives alone because they will know that any such sharing will threaten existing distributions of power and meaningful change and, so, will seek to subvert the prospect by welcoming and then institutionalising randomly selected deliberative forums as Democratic Instruments, with advisory but no sovereign or shared decision making authority.

We should be clear that such a campaign and subversion cannot be allowed to succeed if we are to legitimize our Democracies.., but, we know this too:

it is going to be very difficult for Power to argue against the deepening of Democracy and, very difficult too, for Power to argue against enhancements to Democratic Legitimacy, and in favour of the continuance of an existing system that is so manifestly lacking adequate accountability, so systemically receptive to corruption and so obviously failing that it is consistently producing outcomes contrary to the considered wishes of ordinary Citizens,

and this tells us,

this is a campaign that can be won.

"The PreCondition Policy Initiative" - download the explanatory paper here

Select from language options to download the paper


Version 2.0

(GERMAN) The_PreCondition_Policy_Initiative_2.0 (PDF)

Version 1.0

(ENGLISH) The_PreCondition_Policy_Initiative_1.0 (PDF) 

(GERMAN) The_PreCondition_Policy_Initiative_1.0 (PDF)

(GREEK) The_PreCondition_Policy_Initiative_1.0 (PDF)