Join us for the launch of the Our Democracy campaign; a public discussion on renewing local democracy with Lesley Riddoch (Nordic Horizons), Robin McAlpine (Common Weal), Gehan Macleod (Galgael) and Willie Sullivan (ERS Scotland).



Our Democracy - Act As If We Own The Place is a loose and open coalition of organisations, campaigners and politicians who are dedicated to improving our local democracy. The campaign arises from a simple idea: that human beings flourish when they have control over their own lives.



At the moment most of us have things done to us; power exercised over us by the government, by the council, or by companies who don’t work with our community interests at their core. This disempowers and patronises us.



If democracy is about anything it is about us running our own affairs. That is why we are asking you to ‘act as if you own the place’ - if the citizens of a village, town, city or country don’t own it, then who does? We think communities can redesign their local democracy to work better for them, flourishing all the more by taking control of their community’s future.



There has never been a more exciting time to get involved in the campaign for a better local democracy. Moreover, there has never been a time when it has been more needed. Our democracy isn’t working in the way it should. To renew and extend the control we have in our communities, it needs a shot in the arm from you and your friends and networks.