Back home now from a great day at the National Assembly. Everything ran like clockwork – amazing considering the extent and intricacies of the logistics involved, from sending out those invitations, to organizing the food for 1,500 participants, to assigning every person a place and table, to the methodology, to training the table facilitators, and on and on. Even the scheduling worked perfectly – whereas Icelanders are almost always late with everything, today things were actually finished AHEAD of time. People were in great spirits, but also very grounded and focused, and really into the task at hand. It’s like people were truly invested, and excited to come together and share their thoughts and visions for this country.
Last night it transpired that around 40 places were free at the meeting since people had called in sick. A couple of the Ants were on Kastljós talking about the event and suggested that people could register if they were interested. EPI decided to go for it, so he came with me this morning and participated in the actual discussions [as opposed to YT who just hung around in the press centre]. On the way home we were talking about what a great experience this was – just people coming together from all walks of life, all age groups, different political factions [a number of cabinet ministers participated, and MPs from the opposition were there, including the head of the Independence Party] – nobody arguing, just discussing their hopes and dreams and aspirations for the future of this society. People come together for this sort of event far differently than, for example, a political convention or a rally, and although it is deeply political in nature, it is above partisan politics, which is really unique. It was also totally inspiring to see how people bonded at each of the tables, taking group photos before leaving and suchlike.
EPI was saying he really thinks an assembly of this sort should be held every four years, sort of like an election, which I think is an EXCELLENT idea. An initiative like this really gives people the feeling that they are participants in forming the future of the country, and over, say, 20 years, with a random selection, one could imagine that at least one from every extended family would have been a participant. Which is possibly the best way to facilitate change with this sort of event – when everyone goes back and influences their immediate environment with the values and philosophies discussed.
The results are already online – but in Icelandic. I haven’t had time to read through them, but am looking forward to doing so, and seeing if there are any discernible patterns. [I already know of one - that, in terms of resources, people unequivocally said that they should be protected and remain in the hands of the Icelandic people]. How these ideas and values will now be implemented will remain to be seen – but I think our authorities would be VERY FOOLISH not to take the results of the National Assembly into account when forming their future policies. In any event, I know the people who participated in the Assembly will be invested in seeing them implemented, and so will probably be more vigilant in that regard than they would have been otherwise.
So bottom line: a great event, flawlessly organized, and hopefully something that will be repeated.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I followed the event as much as I could.
Thanks for the coverage!
It is very heart warming to see people trying to make something good happen and being proactive about it.
Here’s wishing all the best for everyone involved and much hope that tangible results will ensue.
I am so pleased to see such an event transpire. It seems so positive and inspiring.
Also quite pleased that one of the common concerns was retaining natural resources for the Icelandic people.
Just to say well done!
Read the results….
In short it sound for me like “The New Iceland is depicted as a society where there is no money, no want, no poverty, no crime, no disease or ignorance in human society; a corruption-free state apparatus that serves society’s best interests, and virtually everyone works for the advancement of all humanity as well as the rest of the Iceland”
The source (read “Related Concepts” section)
PS. “Great National Assembly, flawlessly organized”…hm.
Llike you didn’t expect them to be able even to manage small conference of 1,500 participants. Any army major can do this 
I would argue with “national” term.
And “flawlessly” is what concerns me the most. I would have no problem if they fought or electricity was shut down but the great idea emerged afterwards. But flawlessly organized? Alda, you sounds very pessimistic …
Sorry, forgot to tell “Big thanks!” for the reporting
I’ve read the conclusions — I’m sorry to say that the recommendations are nothing but hopeful platitudes. There are almost no concrete proposals (except limiting aluminum plants and NOT joining the EU).
Yes, it is quite true that nothing good is going to happen in Iceland unless a significant portion (or at least those in charge of the country or those with money) change their attitudes, and change them A LOT. You can’t have a country where nobody takes responsibility for anything and most people are trying to screw one another and the government all the time, and the government and banks political parties in turn try to screw the general population. At some point the factionalism has to stop.
But you have to start with basic enforceable rules and practical solutions to the many big problems facing Iceland. Such as, no nepotism in appointments, firing all the nepotist recipients and make them re-apply for the job, direct-representative voting, salary limits for jobs like the Reykjavik City Council, tax energy at fair market value, stop user and value-added taxes, tax property of the very rich (as they do in France), work-programs for the poor and unemployed, work in exchange for rent, and so on.
Anybody with half a brain can tell you this. You don’t need any special assembly.
In fact, everybody could have saved a lot of time by photocopying the two-page newspaper interview with Joseph Stiglitz and mailing that around. Lots of very sensible – and practical – solutions.
Kudos to the Icelandic Nation!
Is this a latterday Thingfellir? The people who had the gumption to make their fisheries sustainable, whose island is self-sufficient in renewable energy, are now poised to revitalise “democracy”. A thin ray of hope for all of Europe, where so many are dangerously disillusioned.
Hear, hear! Wow, this could be a great start for something new!
Congratulations to folks there for doing anything direct and positive with each other. Make it stick, go forward.
Was there any discussion around how to protect your natural resources? You owe big amounts of money thanks to the feuding chieftains who owned your banks and bled you dry, and now the global energy/ manufacturing companies are hovering over you like vultures from both east and west, hoping they can snatch up cheap a slice of your resources. Protect them at all costs- they are your future life blood. Keep talking-but make sure your refeshing new government stands firm in a world full of business sharks.
sylvia from viking wirral
I wish there could be an event like this in London. Hopefully, the organisers of this event will publish a summary of “lessons learnt” quickly, ie identifying the criticisms raised about the process etc and presenting some suggestions for improvement for similar events in future.
Don’t want to be cynical. Just a reminder of the comments a year ago. In no particular order…
PS. James. If you need to organize “such event” you don’t have to wait for new book – just look at phone book, section “team building experts”
{ 1 trackback }