WHAT ARE WE FOR, WHAT DO WE DO?
We campaign for democratic procedures such as citizens' initiative, issue-ballot, veto-referendum, and recall in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. To achieve reform like this will need a successful country-wide campaign which brings strong public pressure for change. We need to inform people from different backgrounds about how the citizens' law-proposal works in practice, taking examples from other countries, and persuade many people to become active supporters. With over ten years' experience I&R ~ GB puts forward proposals, provides campaign resources, offers to provide speakers, organises workshops and conferences. We need volunteers and partners for campaign work, research, management, office, international liaison and ICT.

DEFINITIONS, MAJOR TERMS
Initiative
Referendum
Citizens' Direct Democracy

The Initiative, also know as Citizens' Initiative

With the "initiative" a citizen or group has the right to put forward a proposal to introduce or change law. In order that a proposal will be put to the electorate (in a "referendum" or "ballot") an agreed number of endorsements ("signatures") must be collected and validated.

Referendum

If the required number of endorsements is obtained, there are two ways to proceed:
1) The proposal is put to the electorate in a referendum.
2) The proposal is first presented to parliament or local council, which must debate it. Parliament or council may adopt the proposal and pass it as law. Proposals which are rejected must be put to the electorate in a referendum. If a majority of the electorate votes for the proposal then it becomes law.

Citizens' Direct Democracy

Definition of citizens’ direct democracy (1)
Revised July 2008

Comments again invited.

We define citizens’ direct democracy CDD to include those forms of governance in which the electorate decides on issues, matters of public concern, in addition to choosing among candidates for council or parliament (indirect or "representative" democracy). This form of democracy CDD is often referred to as "the initiative and referendum".

Political power in CDD is exercised by “The People” although parliament and government continue to operate as well.

The term “citizens’ direct democracy” refers to forms of democratic decision-making which can be initiated by an agreed number of citizens and which can lead to a decision by ballot or vote of the whole electorate. In this context "ballot" means the same as binding referendum or plebiscite. Thus citizens can identify, select and prioritise public issues, stipulate the wording of proposals and put proposals to the whole electorate of their state, city, town, village or other political unit. Examples of such procedures are:
-- the citizens’ law-proposal (initiative) leading to ballot,
-- the veto referendum,
-- the constitutional referendum and
-- the recall-initiative.

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1. The term "direct democracy" has been applied (sometimes wrongly) to a range of conditions, systems and procedures in governance and public constitution. We try to achieve precision by using the term "citizens’ direct democracy".