Category Archives: Democracy

The 2023 Coastal Community Credit Union Elections

Democracy, Economy, ,

Who to Vote For?

By Guy Dauncey

Every year, when Coastal Community Credit Union holds it annual election to choose new Directors, I consider the candidates and share my personal choices, based on their values and their commitment to lead CCCU towards greater care for the community and care for the planet, while remaining a well-governed, profitable institution.

CCCU is a cooperative – it is owned by its members. We can choose the direction we want CCCU to take through the Directors we elect to represent us on the Board.

Continue reading The 2023 Coastal Community Credit Union Elections →

The Coastal Community Credit Union Election – Who to Vote For?

Democracy, Economy, , ,

I am a member of the Coastal Community Credit Union (CCCU), and there’s currently an election happening in which six people are running to fill three vacant seats. 

Under the right leadership, a credit union can make a big difference, so a credit union election is also a climate election, a local food and farming election, a green economy election, and so much more.

Who should I vote for? What questions should I be asking? What should I be thinking about? The deadline for voting is next Tuesday, March 29th, so I’ve left this rather late. Sneak peak – these are my recommended candidates:

A credit union is a financial cooperative that is owned and governed by its members. When they play an active role in choosing their Directors, amazing things can happen, as Vancity demonstrates (543,000 members, 55 branches, 2,675 employees). During 2021: 

Continue reading The Coastal Community Credit Union Election – Who to Vote For? →

Hawai’i Kōnea: A Story from the Future  

business, Climate, Democracy, Economy, Education, energy, Nature, politics, Spirituality and Science, , , , ,

Honolulu, January 16th, 2193

Click here to download this as a printable PDF:

hawaii-ko.nea_Download

It’s sunset, at the end of another beautiful day in Honolulu. The high tide is arguing with the seawall, which was raised another metre last year to protect the Capitol Building – but what’s new? They’re still not on good terms with each other.

My name is Ben Danner-Pualani, and tomorrow I will give the biggest speech of my life in front of all my peers. They say it will be broadcast to every schoolchild. I’m 87, and for my sins I have been granted the pomposity of being a Senator, so I’ve seen a bit, but this has the butterflies crawling all over my poor weak heart, under my great grandfather’s ancient robe.

Continue reading Hawai’i Kōnea: A Story from the Future   →

Fifty Ways to Bring More Urgency to BC’s Climate Action Plans

Climate, Democracy, Economy, Education, energy, Nature, , , , , , , , ,

For a printable PDF of this paper, click Download

fifty-ways-to-bring-urgency-3Download

“We are facing a disaster of unspoken suffering for enormous amounts of people, so please, treat the climate crisis like the acute crisis it is, and give us a future.” – Greta Thunberg

For years, Guy Dauncey has tirelessly warned of the urgency of tackling the climate crisis and provided practical ways to achieve reductions in our emissions.  While the crisis has only worsened, the window of opportunity to shift direction has shortened.  Here is a blueprint for concrete action.  Read it and act! – David Suzuki

Continue reading Fifty Ways to Bring More Urgency to BC’s Climate Action Plans →

When Climate Met COVID

Climate, COVID-19, Democracy, Economy, , , ,

By Guy Dauncey

We face not one but three simultaneous inter-connected crises: the COVID-19 Emergency, the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency, and the Crisis of Capitalism. We urgently need connected constructive responses. 

When you recall the movie When Harry Met Sally, your horny mind probably goes straight the scene in the delicatessen, and “I’ll have what she’s having”. Setting that aside, it took Harry and Sally a long time before they realized that they were natural partners. In my version of the story, Harry is the climate and biodiversity action movement and Sally is the COVID-19 community response movement. For each, the movement includes a wide mix of people, organizations, scientists, health workers, artists, businesses, banks and governments who have realized the urgency of their respective crises. Ideally I need a third character to represent the new economics movement, but since there was no suggestion of polyamory in the movie, I’ll settle for tradition. It would make for a great sequel, however. 

Continue reading When Climate Met COVID →

50 Ways to Stay SANE During the Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID-19, Democracy, Economy, Education

Strong, Active, Neighbourly and Energetic (SANE)

By Guy Dauncey

How can we stay strong during this crisis? With love, careful planning, and care for others – and total lockdown.

The end of the tunnel may be a long way off, but if we treat it with the utmost seriousness, keep our social distance, wash our hands regularly, and look out for each other, we can stop the spread of the virus and reach the light at the end. When we emerge, huge numbers of people will hopefully want a more caring, cooperative approach to life, and a new kind of economy, based less on greed, selfishness and the destruction of Nature, and more on the economics of kindness. 

Continue reading 50 Ways to Stay SANE During the Coronavirus Pandemic →

Six Green New Deals: How Do They Compare?

Climate, Democracy, Economy, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This blog was updated on September 27th 2019 to TEN Green New Deals – see here.

 

 

 

Climate Action in BC: The November Offensive

Climate, Democracy, energy, politics,

Climate Action

Will you join me? I need lots of people to join the November Offensive, so that together, we can make a difference.

This summer’s forest fires and smoke-filled skies have left many of us asking, “What will it take to end the climate dithering and start DOING something to tackle the growing emergency?”

The IPCC has just reminded us of the urgency of the crisis, and the need to reduce emissions globally by 45% by 2030 if we are to limit the warming to 1.5C.

The BC NDP government is getting ready to launch its climate plan at the end of November, somehow combining climate action sufficient to meet its stated goal of a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030 with its recent climate-disastrous decision to approve the big LNG Canada project.

The timing is critical to impress our New Democrat and Green MLAs of the need for urgent action to speed the transition to 100% renewable energy and protect the forests.

When the government floated its ‘Intention Papers’ in August, my response was that they were really timid, far from what was needed. Our government must, must do better. Continue reading Climate Action in BC: The November Offensive →

Our 2018 Local Elections on Southern Vancouver Island: The Winners

Democracy, politics

 

Winnersby Guy Dauncey

Saturday October 20th was Election Day, and we had such great results! Of the 55 candidates who I recommended for your support, 38 were elected and 17 were not. In Courtenay and Comox progressive candidates were also elected, pushing out old-school conservatives.

This was my pitch for these candidates: I want Vancouver Island to become a place where people are really committed to living in harmony with nature.

I want our towns and cities to be full of safe bike lanes, wonderful green spaces, urban farms, affordable housing for all, great public transit, wonderful pedestrian environments, and to have permanently ended homelessness. Continue reading Our 2018 Local Elections on Southern Vancouver Island: The Winners →

Let Us Advance Up The Ladder of Democracy

Democracy, , ,

Ladder

by Guy Dauncey

Democracy is a very recent social invention. Most people don’t like it when the societies they live in are blatantly unfair, with privileges and glory for the rich and hard labour and exploitation for the poor. In consequence, starting a thousand years ago, people in nations all over the world have gradually prised power out of the hands of their ruling elites and established democracies.

It has been incredible hard work. In 1794, Thomas Hardy, a London shoemaker, was charged with high treason for proposing one person, one vote. His sentence, had he been found guilty, would have been to be hanged by the neck, cut down while still conscious, disemboweled, beheaded, and his body to have been cut up into quarters. Fortunately, a Grand Jury of nine respectable citizens, after debating the matter for nine days, found him ‘Not Guilty’. The London crowd went crazy, dragging him through the streets in triumph.

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