Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

This podcast is based on Chapter Four - Civil Society Discourse -of the book  Stakeholder Democracy: Representative Democracy in a Time of Fear. The podcast   is available here. There have been two different discourses that have developed over the past twenty-five years, civil society in the area of development and stakeholder in the area of sustainable development. This chapter reviews the three major versions of the civil society discourse: associational life, good society, and the public sphere. It finds them limiting the engagement and excludes key stakeholders. Perhaps the discourse works best in opposition against totalitarian regimes of the left and right, but as an organizing principle within democracy, it is found wanting.   The book and podcast also highlight contemporary experiments in participatory democracy, including citizen panels and proposals for a global parliament, and consider the diverse forms of modern democratic governments. In sustainable dev...

Another busy year on publications. I had two books out: Power to the People: This book explores the role that the Young Liberal Green Guard had on UK politics in the 1980s. It aims to inspire future young politicians of whatever political views the truth of Margaret Meads statement that: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Reviews included: By Lord Chris Rennard “The 1980s is a fascinating period in British politics and Felix Dodds played a fascinating role in that period and which he writes extremely well about. The group of people who were close to him then have stuck together and have mostly used their political and campaigning skills to great effect ever since. It took courage for Young Liberals to support a Labour candidate because he was openly gay and the SDP's sitting MP appeared to be homophobic, but I think that they were right even though it caused ruction...

By Felix Dodds and Mark Jones  (First published on  Liberal Democrat Voice web site ) Most political commentators believe that the chances are that after the next election no party will have a majority. As we approach the election some people are suggesting that perhaps a new coalition government isn’t the best answer to promote progressive policies. The experiences of the Con-Lib Coalition, and to a lesser extent the Lab/Plaid coalition that ran Wales from 2007-2011 have shown that a left leaning party has to make too many compromises when in a coalition. Some people are actively discussing that perhaps a new coalition government isn’t the best answer to promote progressive policies . The experience of the Con-Lib Coalition has shown that a left leaning party has to make too many compromises when in a coalition with a right of center party. This has resulted in an increasing discussion on the left that perhaps a minority government, as in Scotland from...