Participatory Decision-Making Quotes

In a democratic society...Islam cannot be the exclusive preserve of the ulama [religious bodies]. How can it be when Islamic laws affect our very way of life? The decision-making process must be participatory and must reflect the diverse and changing nature of Malaysian society. Those practices and legal provisions that give the ulama the sole power to decide on matters of religion and criminalize those with differing opinions must be abrogated. The Constitution must be amended to ensure uniformity of laws and one standard of justice for all. If the ulama continue to remain oblivious to the palpable change that pervades a quickly modernizing, multi-ethnic Malaysia, they run the risk of making themselves increasingly irrelevant to the lives of their people.

Democracy is an impossible thing until the power is shared by all, but let not democracy degenerate into mobocracy.

We will work on inclusive governance for inclusive growth

In order to get past disagreements, you just can't have one person with power decide. In other words, so just because I'm a boss, it would be terrible if I then said, "Okay, we're gonna go do this." That's why, after that thoughtful disagreement, there has to be a process of an idea meritocracy. That means okay, now you have to vote, not that the decision resides with power. And then you vote and move beyond it.

Work democracy does not wish to prevent or prohibit anything. Its only intention is the fulfilment of the biological life functions, of love, work and knowledge.

Why should workers agree to be slaves in a basically authoritarian structure? They should have control over it themselves. Why shouldn't communities have a dominant voice in running the institutions that affect their lives?

It is often argued that the people who will be affected by a major decision should be involved in it. Paul Kruger, president of the Transvaal in southern Africa, once resolved a dispute between two brothers about a land inheritance they were to share. Kruger's decision: let one brother divide the land, and let the other brother have first choice.

I never had any question about the direction we were going in at the Girl Scouts. We shared our mission and research with all levels of leaders from the very beginning - a concept I created, using cups and saucers, called 'circular management.' Everyone was on a team; there were no superiors or subordinates. There was respect for all people.

A deal must include an equitable global governance structure. All countries must have a voice in how resources are deployed and managed.

If small groups are included in the decision-making process, then they should be allowed to make decisions. If an organization sets up teams and then uses them for purely advisory purposes, it loses the true advantage that a team has: namely, collective wisdom.

More socialism means more democracy, openness and collectivism in everyday life.

Democracy tends to be a collaborative process, a committee, a consensus. Silicon Valley tends to believe in the individual who creates a small group and does something big.

I believe in decentralized management that includes a lot of delegation, empowerment, and accountability.

If I had taken a proprietary control of the Web, then it would never have taken off. People only committed their time to it because they knew it was open, shared: that they could help decide what would happen to it next.. and I wouldn't be raking off 10%!

I want everyone to put their views forward, every union branch, every party branch, so we develop organically the strengths we all have, the imagination we all have.

We don't have ways of resolving the arguments in idea meritocratic way.

In these troubled, uncertain times, we don't need more command and control; we need better means to engage everyone's intelligence in solving challenges and crises as they arise.

Plans must be simple and flexible....They must be made by the people who execute them.

Ours is a party with internal democracy. When we take a collective decision, it is not taken by a few people. It is taken only after serious analysis and wide consultations, in a true and democratic manner.

High level policy makers and program managers do not normally listen to the voices of local people, local providers and local program managers when they make decisions about contraceptive introduction or other aspects of program development in reproductive health.

Any social or cultural change has to be made openly and with people agreeing. You don't get there by just pushing an outsider's point of view.

We believe in the wisdom of the front lines.

Let me clarify this very definitely. This is not an authoritarian organization.

Involve people in the problem and work out the solution together.

No decision about me, without me.