WHY HOLD BIG LISTENS? WHY NOT JUST POLL?

Some have wondered why we engage in a time-consuming process like the Big Listen  when other parties use polls or surveys to gather the “same information.”  Some have argued that we are moving too slowly and that all this listening is a colossal waste of time when the real job at hand is to defeat the Conservatives in the next election.

I couldn’t disagree more. The Big Listen has shaped our party and our policies  in ways that would not have been possible through traditional consultation processes.

Polls and surveys don’t capture the intricacies of people’s values, needs and aspirations. They skim the surface and don’t allow for meaningful discussion of complex issues. As well, they don’t bring people together to learn from each other’s experiences.  They don’t create a sense of community or joint-ownership of the end product.  The data is collected in a series of parallel streams, all flowing in one direction: to the fact-finder or decision-maker.  Everyone enters (and exits) the survey or poll with only their own agenda in mind.

By contrast, a Big Listen participant may decide, for instance, that her burning issue should not take precedence after listening to her neighbour’s struggle with the health care system or the First Nations’ struggles with poverty and racism. Bringing people together to listen to each other has a moderating effect. As the ideas intermingle and cross-pollinate, extremism and rigid selfishness die down; compassion, respect and empathy step in. We moderate our thoughts in response to what we hear from others and we, in turn, become moderate through actively listening.  The Alberta Party isn’t moderate because it is searching for some mythical middle-ground on the political spectrum. We are moderate in large part because of the Big Listen process.

How we meet as citizens is critical. It sets the stage for both the experience and the outcomes.  Are we lined up at a microphone, waving our fists at stony-faced officials behind a long, draped table? Are we rallying on the steps of the Leg, yelling to be heard by those inside? My experience with these types of “engagement” is that people enter angry and they leave even angrier. There is no real dialogue, compromise or problem-solving. It is confrontational, with clear winners and losers.  By contrast, the Big Listen occurs typically in a home. The participants sit in a circle- all equal, all equally responsible, and all participating equally. People speak one at a time. When not speaking, people actively listen. It is not a debate; you are not there to discredit someone else’s ideas. You listen. You wait your turn. And time and time again, people say things like: “Wow. I knew what I wanted to say when this started but now, listening to everyone, I find I want to say something else.”

This is the sign of true engagement- it is transformative and reciprocal.

Finally, the Big Listen creates social equity by being open and free to all. Currently, ideas from the most vocal and influential members of our society have the potential to drown out lesser-heard voices.  Some members of our society have more access to politicians’ ears and therefore more influence over policies and directions. The wage-a-day Albertan can feel left out in the cold and distrust can creep in as more and more key decisions appear to be made behind closed doors, by fewer and fewer people.

The Big Listen has the potential to reach a much wider population and bring policy-making out into the open. It is so simple to do, so easy to host, that anyone can do it.  With each new host, a new group of people is drawn into the conversation. Because we don’t require people to join our party to participate, we are able to move beyond dogma, beyond the echo chamber of people who already subscribe to our party’s beliefs, and create a safe environment for all points of view. A typical community meeting hosted by an MLA, even the most dedicated and connected, will tend to only draw a limited crowd of supporters and perhaps a few outliers with an axe to grind. The thousands in between those two extremes do not show up. With 60% of Albertans choosing not to vote in the last election, I think it is safe to say that the silent majority is being included in the discussion and assuming to know what they think is a risky venture. The recent miscalculations on the part of the government (pulling back Bill 29, for example) show that it is very difficult to keep your finger on the pulse if you don’t have an effective way to listen to all Albertans.

The Alberta Party is dedicated to empowering all citizens to participate fully and meaningfully in shaping the future.  By bringing more voices to the table, we believe better answers will emerge. Albertans will help us to create a high quality of living for all and a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.  Albertans will help us chart a better future.

The Big Listen is about more than our party creating the next government; it’s about empowering the citizens of Alberta to own and create the government they want. That, I would argue, can only be achieved through the act of listening.

I encourage you to consider hosting a Big Listen in your community. The information gathered will deepen my understanding of the issues facing Edmonton-Glenora and will become the basis for my local platform. Please go to this link to sign up.