Photo: The People’s Platform launch. Photo by Kathie Clark.
The People’s Platform initiative was launched at the Democracy Café in Hamilton last night.
Hamilton chapter activist Kathie Clark says, “The Democracy Café was packed and flowed out onto the sidewalk. The walls were filled with ideas of what people care about and want to see improved in Hamilton. The roar of the discussion reflected the intense involvement, engagement and the passion of the people present. Just think what this will be like when the forums start to happen throughout the city over the coming weeks.”
Metro News further explains what the People’s Platform is all about.
“The People’s Platform offers three layers of potential engagement for Hamilton residents, starting with a simple online opportunity to offer ideas. There will also be three forums, to be held on Aug. 9, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11. Finally, there will be two charettes, designed to fine-tune some of the proposals, which will ultimately be put to a vote. By the end of the process, The People’s Platform intends to present a slate of the top proposals. A questionnaire will then be sent to municipal election candidates, asking them whether they support the proposals or not, with their reasons. The final results will be posted on The People’s Platform website.”
A Hamilton Spectator editorial comments, “Ask a range of people who don’t vote why they don’t, and you will get a range of answers. But chances are there will be themes, and two of them will be along the lines of: ‘What difference does one person’s opinion make?’ and/or ‘They don’t talk about the things that matter to me.’ What if we could change that? The Hamilton Civic League, a grassroots Hamilton organization with a mandate to grow participation in civic affairs, is trying to do that with its People’s Platform project. Aside from the civic league, the Council of Canadians, Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability and Hamilton Organizing for Poverty Elimination are project partners.”
Municipal elections take place in Ontario this coming October 27.
CHML and CBC also reported on the launch of the People’s Platform.
For more about The People’s Platform, please click here.
