3 ways to upgrade democracy for the 21st century | Max Rashbrooke

Transcriber:

翻译人员: Shulin Chen 校对人员: Helen Chang

(Māori) Kia ora koutou, everyone.

大家好！

I want to you today about democracy,

今天我想聊聊民主这个话题。

about the struggles that it's experiencing,

民主在当下面临很多问题，

and the fact that all of us together in this room

而在场的所有人，

might be the solution.

也许就是答案。

But before I get onto that,

但在此之前，

I want to take a little detour into the past.

我想稍微谈点历史。

This is a picture from Athens,

这是一张雅典的图片，

or more specifically, it's a picture of a place called the Pnyx,

更确切的说，图中的地点 是雅典的普尼克斯，

which is where, about two and a half thousand years ago,

大约两千五百年前，

the ancient Greeks, the ancient Athenians,

古希腊人、古雅典人

gathered to take all their major political decisions together.

在此集会，共同做出 重大政治决策。

I say the ancient Athenians.

这里我说的古雅典人，

In fact, it was only the men.

实际上只包括男性，

Actually, it was only the free, resident, property-owning men.

准确来说，是城邦内拥有财产的 自由男性公民。

But with all those failings,

尽管存在种种局限，

it was still a revolutionary idea:

雅典民主依然具有划时代意义：

that ordinary people were capable of dealing

普通民众能够

with the biggest issues of the time

参与共商国是，

and didn't need to rely on a single supposedly superior ruler.

无需仰赖某个至高无上的统治者。

It was, you know, it was a way of doing things,

这是一种处事之道，

it was a political system.

一种政治制度，

It was, you could say, a democratic technology appropriate to the time.

也可以说是一种 因时制宜的民主形式。

Fast-forward to the 19th century

快进到 19 世纪，

when democracy was having another flourishing moment

又一个民主繁荣发展的时代，

and the democratic technology that they were using then

当时的民主形式

was representative democracy.

称作代议制民主。

The idea that you have to elect a bunch of people --

这种民主形式需要 选举一群代表——

gentlemen, in the picture here, all gentlemen, at the time, of course --

即议员，如图所示，这是 当时所有的议员——

you had to elect them to look after your best interests.

选举他们来最大限度 维护你的权益。

And if you think about the conditions of the time,

想想当时的条件，

the fact that it was impossible to gather everybody together physically,

根本不可能将所有人 实体地聚集到一起,

and of course they didn’t have the means to gather everyone together virtually,

当然，也没办法将所有人 虚拟地聚集到一起，

it was again a kind of democratic technology

这又是一种新的民主形式，

appropriate to the time.

因时制宜。

Fast-forward again to the 21st century.

进入 21 世纪，

And we're living through what's internationally known

我们正经历一场

国际公认的民主危机，

as the crisis of democracy.

What I would call the crisis of representative democracy,

我称之为代议制民主危机。

the sense that people are falling out of love with this

人们不再真切认同代议制民主

as a way of getting things done,

这种处事之道，

that it's not fundamentally working.

根本上来说，这种民主不再奏效。

And we see this crisis take many forms in many different countries.

我们可以看到这场危机在 许多国家以不同形式上演。

So in the UK,

正如今天的英国，

you see a country that now at times looks almost ungovernable.

有时看上去几乎处于无政府状态。

In places like Hungary and Turkey,

在匈牙利和土耳其等国，

you see very frighteningly authoritarian leaders being elected.

骇人地选出独断专制的领导人。

In places like New Zealand,

而在新西兰等国，

we see it in the nearly one million people

有将近 100 万人口

who could have voted at the last general election,

拥有最后一轮大选的投票权，

but who chose not to.

却选择放弃投票。

Now these kinds of struggles,

当前所面临的这些问题

these sort of crises of democracy have many roots, of course,

和此类民主危机肯定有许多原因，

but for me, one of the biggest ones

但我认为，其中最主要的原因

is that we haven't upgraded our democratic technology.

是我们的民主形式没有与时俱进。

We're still far too reliant on the systems

我们仍然过度依赖这套

that we inherited from the 19th and from the 20th century.

从 19、20 世纪 继承来的民主制度。

And we know this because in survey after survey

之所以得出这样的结论， 是因为在多次调研中，

people tell us, they say,

受访者对我们说，

“We don’t think that we’re getting a fair share of decision-making power,

“我们认为，我们没有获得 公平的决定权配额，

decisions happen somewhere else."

决定发生在 我们之外的其他地方。”

They say, “We don’t think the current systems

他们说：“我们认为，当前的制度

and our government

和我们的政府

genuinely deliver on the common good,

并未切实保障公共利益，

以及我们作为公民应有的权益。”

the interests that we share as citizens."

They say, “We’re much less deferential than ever before,

他们还说：“比起过去， 我们不再惯于顺从，

and we expect more than ever before,

我们更加期盼，

and we want more than ever before

我们更加渴望

to be engaged in the big political decisions that affect us.”

参与到关乎我们 自身的重大政治决策中。”

And they know

他们明白，

that our systems of democracy have just not kept pace

我们的民主制度

with either the expectations

并未跟上民众期盼的步伐，

or the potential of the 21st century.

也未展现 21 世纪应有的样貌。

And for me, what that suggests

在我看来，这所揭示的

is that we need a really significant upgrade of our systems of democracy.

是我们亟需显著地提升民主制度， 这十分重要。

That doesn't mean we throw out everything that's working about the current system,

这不意味着完全抛弃 现有制度中的一切，

because we will always need representatives

因为我们总是需要一些代表，

to carry out some of the complex work of running the modern world.

来完成部分复杂的工作， 实现现代社会的运转。

But it does mean a bit more Athens

但这里提到的提升意味着 更倾向雅典式民主，

and a bit less Victorian England.

而偏离维多利亚英国式民主。

And it also means a big shift towards what's generally called

这也意味着一次重大转型， 目标即通常所说的

everyday democracy.

“日常民主”。

And it gets this name

之所以得名，

because it's about finding ways of bringing democracy closer to people,

是因为其设法让民主更贴近民众，

giving us more meaningful opportunities to be involved in it,

让我们得以有契机参与其中，

giving us a sense that we're not just part of government

并意识到，不是只有 每隔几年投票的那天，

on one day, every few years when we vote,

我们才是政府的一份子，

but we're part of it every other day of the year.

而是每两天，我们就是其中的一员。

Now that everyday democracy has two key qualities

日常民主有两个关键特征，

that I've seen prove their worth time and again,

在我所进行的研究中，

in the research that I've done.

我见证了他们一次次 证明自身的价值。

The first is participation

第一个特征是参与。

because it's only if we as citizens,

因为只有当我们作为公民，

as much as possible,

尽可能多地

get involved in the decisions that affect us,

参与到关乎自身的决策中去时，

that we'll actually get the kind of politics that we need,

我们才真正得到了 我们所需要的政治，

that we'll actually get our common good served.

我们的共同利益才真正得到保障。

The second important quality is deliberation.

第二个重要特征是审议。

And that's just a fancy way of saying high-quality public discussion,

简单来说，就是高质量公众讨论，

because its all very well people participating,

因为参与者都是素质较高的人，

but it's only when we come together and we listen to each other,

但是只有聚在一起， 聆听各自见解，

we engage with the evidence, and reflect on our own views,

运用各式论据， 反思自身观点，

that we genuinely bring to the surface the wisdom and the ideas

我们才能真正挖掘出 潜藏的智慧和好的想法，

that would otherwise remain scattered and isolated

否则它们就将散落、隔绝

amongst us as a group.

于人群之中。

It's only then that the crowd really becomes smarter than the individual.

只有那时，集体智慧 才真正大于个人智慧。

So if we ask what could this abstract idea,

当人们问起这种抽象概念，

this everyday democracy actually look like in practice,

即日常民主， 实践起来是什么样的，

the great thing is we don't even have to use our imaginations

幸运的是我们不必依靠想像，

because these things are already happening in pockets around the world.

因为世界上已有先例可循。

One of my favorite quotes comes from the science fiction writer,

我最喜欢的一句名言 来自科幻小说家

William Gibson, who once said,

威廉·吉布森（William Gibson）， 他曾说过，

"The future's already here,

“未来已来，

it's just unevenly spread."

只是在这世上分布不均。”

So what I want to do is share with you three things

所以我想与你们分享三点，

from this unevenly spread future that I'm really excited about

基于这个“分布不均的未来”。 令我十分高兴的是

in terms of upgrading the system of democracy that we work with.

它们有助于完善民主制度， 这是我们所致力于实现的。

Three components of that potential democratic upgrade.

未来完善民主有三个要素，

And the first of them is the citizens assembly.

其一是公民大会。

And the idea here is that a polling company is contracted by government

思路就是，政府与 民调公司达成协议，

to draw up, say, a hundred citizens

举个例子，民调公司召集一百位公民，

who are perfectly representative of the country as a whole.

整体上，他们要能够 广泛地代表这个国家的公民，

So perfectly representative in terms of age, gender,

广泛代表性需体现在年龄、性别、

ethnicity, income level and so on.

民族、收入水平等方面。

And these people are brought together over a period of weekends or a week,

将这些人聚到一起， 花上一个周末或一周的时间，

paid for their time

给他们补贴，

and asked to discuss an issue of crucial public importance.

让他们讨论具有 重大公共意义的议题。

They're given training

他们要接受培训，

on how to discuss issues well with each other,

学习如何较好地合作讨论。

which we'll all know of course, from our experiences of arguing online,

众所周知，鉴于我们 在网上争论的经历，

if nowhere else,

如果没有在其他地方争论过的话，

is not an ability that we're all born with innately,

合作讨论并不是我们 与生俱来的能力，

more’s the pity.

这很遗憾。

In the citizens assembly,

在公民大会上，

people are also put in front of evidence and the experts,

人们眼前就是论据和专家，

and they're given time to discuss the issue deeply

他们有时间与其他公民伙伴

with their fellow citizens

深入讨论相关议题，

and come to a state of consensus recommendations.

并最终形成协商一致的建议。

So these kinds of assemblies have been used in places like Canada,

加拿大等国已采纳 这种公民大会的形式，

where they were used to draw up

用于起草

a new national action plan on mental health

一项新的国家精神健康行动计划，

for the whole country.

以改善全国现状。

A citizens assembly was used recently in Melbourne

近期，墨尔本通过公民大会

to basically lay the foundation

为一项新的全国十年财政计划

of a new 10-year financial plan for the whole city.

奠定了基础。

So these assemblies can have real teeth, real weight.

可见，这些公民大会具有 真实效力和影响力。

The second key element of the democratic upgrade:

完善民主的第二个关键要素：

participatory budgeting.

参与式预算。

The idea here is that a local council or a city council

思路是，地方议会或市议会

takes its budget for spending on new buildings, new services,

拟制定预算，用于营建新建筑 或提供新服务，

and says,

并表示，

we're going to put a chunk of this up for the public to decide,

我们打算将大部分 预算决定权交给民众，

but only after you've argued the issues over carefully with each other.

但要求你们相互之间 仔细地讨论过相关议题。

And so the process starts at the neighborhood level.

接着，整个流程从邻里间开始，

You have people meeting together in community halls, in basketball courts,

人们在社区礼堂、篮球场开会，

making the trade-offs,

权衡利弊，

saying, "Well, are we going to spend that money on a new health center,

讨论着，“我们是该把预算 用来建一座新的健康中心，

or are we going to spend it on safety improvements to a local road?"

还是用于市内道路的 安全养护呢？”

People using their expertise in their own lives.

人们基于自身的认知参与讨论。

Those discussions are then pushed up to the suburb or ward level,

随后这些讨论上升至区 或选区级别，

and then again, to the city level

再后来，上升至市级，

and in full view of the public,

全面考虑公众想法，

the public themselves makes the final allocation of that budget.

由公众自身决定最终的预算分配。

And in the city where this all originated,

参与式预算的发源地

Porto Alegre in Brazil,

巴西阿雷格里港（Porto Alegre），

a place with about a million inhabitants,

拥有约 100 万居民，

as many as 50,000 people get engaged in that process every year.

其中每年有多达 5 万人 参与这一过程。

The third element of the upgrade:

完善民主的第三要素：

online consensus forming.

线上达成共识。

In Taiwan a few years ago, when Uber arrived on their shores,

几年前，美国打车应用 优步（Uber）进入台湾市场时，

the government immediately launched an online discussion process

当地政府立即发起了 一项线上研讨程序，

using a piece of software called Polis,

使用的软件名为Polis，

which is also coincidentally, or not coincidentally,

不管有意无意，

what the ancient Athenians call themselves

Polis恰是古雅典人

when they were making their collective decisions.

集体决策时的自称，

And the way Polis works is it groups people together,

Polis的工作原理就是 将人们放在一个社群，

and then using machine learning and a bunch of other techniques,

通过机器学习技术 和一些其他科技，

it encourages good discussion amongst those participating.

鼓励参与者积极讨论，

It allows them to put up proposals, which are then discussed,

参与者可以提出意见， 这些意见随后用于讨论，

knocked back, refined,

遭到反驳，再完善，

until they reach something like 80 percent consensus.

直到达成 80% 左右的共识。

And in the time, in this case, within about four weeks,

在那场台湾的讨论中，大约四周内

this process had yielded six recommendations

这一流程产生了六条建议，

for how people wanted to see Uber regulated.

反映民众希望怎样管理优步。

And those, almost all of them,

几乎所有的建议

were immediately picked up by the government

都立即得到了政府的采纳，

and accepted by Uber.

并被优步公司接受。

Now I find these examples really inspiring.

当下我认为这些例子 十分鼓舞人心，

People sometimes ask me why I'm an optimist

有时人们问我，为什么 我是个乐观主义者，

and a large part of the answer

我的答案很大一部分

is these kinds of innovations,

来自于这些创新之举，

because I think they,

因为我认为，

you know, they're really show us that we can have a kind of politics

它们向我们昭示了，我们可以 拥有心中理想的政治，

which is deeply responsive to our needs as citizens,

会积极回应我们的公民诉求，

but which avoids the peril of the threats to human liberties,

规避对人类自由的危险威胁，

the threats to civil liberties

以及对公民自由的威胁，

that authoritarian populism descends into.

这些都是威权民粹主义 退化带来的不良后果。

They show us that even though we live in what looks like quite a dark time,

它们向我们昭示了，尽管 生活在看似黑暗的时代，

there are things that act a bit like emergency lighting,

依然有像应急灯一样的东西，

guiding us towards something better.

指引着我们向更好的方向前进。

And although these are all ideas from the Western tradition,

虽然这些都是西方传统思想，

they can also be combined with, adapted by Indigenous traditions

它们还是可以与其他地区的 本土传统相结合、相适应，

that also value turn-taking in speech and consensus decision-making.

那些地区的传统同样重视 话轮转换和共识决策。

And the thread that binds all these traditions together

而将这些文化传统 相互融合的想法，

is essentially a faith in other people.

本质上是对他人的信任，

A faith in people's ability to handle difficult decisions,

相信他人能够完成困难的决策，

a faith in people's ability to come together

相信他人能够聚在一起，

and make political decisions intelligently.

做出明智的政治决策。

In the Polis example,

在Polis的例子里，

we see that government can be agile and nimble

我们看到了政府在面对技术冲击时

in the face of tech disruption.

展现出的灵敏机智。

In the participatory budgeting,

在参与式预算案例中，

we see that we can build systems

我们知道可以构建这样一种体制

that are disproportionately used by poor people

能够为穷人广泛利用，

and which deliver infrastructure

带来更好的基础设施，

that is better quality than the traditional systems.

其质量高于传统体制 所能带来的质量。

In citizens assemblies,

在公民大会中，

the experts who observed them time and again,

那些多次观察讨论的专家们表示，

say that in those good conditions people's ability to listen to others,

在有利条件下，人们 能够倾听他人的意见，

to engage with the evidence,

运用论据辩论，

and to shift from their entrenched views is consistently astounding.

转变固有观念， 这无一例外令人惊叹。

And that's a really, really hopeful finding,

这一发现令人满怀希望，

because, you know, I think we live at a time

因为我认为我们这个时代，

where you see right around the world,

放眼世界，

huge suspicion of other people, of other citizens,

看到的尽是对他人、 对其他公民的极度怀疑

huge doubts about whether people are really able to bear the burden

深刻质疑人们是否能否承受

of decision-making that democracy places on them.

民主所带来的决策压力。

But if you're worried, for instance,

但是如果你在忧虑，比如说，

about whether a lot of people out there,

社会中许多人

you know, are misinformed or fallen prey to online propaganda,

是否已被误导或已沦为 负面网络宣传的受害者？

what better way to push back against that

那么最好的应对方法就是

than by ensuring that they're placed in forums.

确保他们参与到公共对话中，

Forums like the New England town hall meetings shown here.

就像新英格兰的市政厅会议， 如图所示。

Forums where they have to come face-to-face with other people,

在这些公共对话中， 他们不得不与他人面对面，

or at least be in close virtual contact,

或至少能够近距离接触，

where they have to justify their opinions,

他们需要论证自己观点的合理性，

have to deal with the evidence,

需要应对现实证据，

and are encouraged to step away from their prejudices.

我们也要鼓励他们 走出自身的偏见。

The Canadian philosopher Joseph Heath

加拿大哲学家 约瑟夫·奚斯（Joseph Heath）认为，

says that rationality,

理性，

our ability to make good decisions,

或者说正确决策的能力，

isn't something that we achieve as individuals,

不是单个人能够拥有的。

if we achieve it at all.

如果要说我们拥有理性，

It's something we achieve in groups.

那一定是在集体中得到的。

Our best hope of rationality is each other.

我们对理性最美好的期待 寄托在我们每个人身上。

Or to put the thing a different way,

换句话说，

the problem with democracy is not other people,

民主的问题不在于其他人，

it's not other citizens.

也不在于其他公民。

The problem is the situations in which they -- in which we all --

问题在于，我们所有人

have been asked to do our democratic work.

被要求去实现民主时所处的条件。

The problem is the outdated democratic technology

问题在于，我们所有人

that we've all been forced to use.

都被迫使用过时的民主形式。

And so what these examples show to me,

我讲的这些例子给我的启发，

the reason I find them inspiring,

以及我之所以认为它们鼓舞人心，

is that I think they demonstrate that if you get the situations right,

根本在于它们昭示着， 如果条件合适，

if you get the technology upgraded,

如果民主形式得到完善，

then actually the things that we do when we come together as citizens

那么我们作为公民共同做出的努力

can be astounding,

将惊艳无比。

and together, we really can build a form of democracy

携手前行，我们就能构建

that's genuinely fit for the 21st century.

一种完美契合 21 世纪的民主形式。

Thank you very much.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）