Reclaim our Recovery will launch the Lismore People’s Assembly on the weekend with the aim of helping the community find solutions to the Housing Crisis.
Reclaim our Recovery (ROR) say they have been pushing for robust, democratic, community involvement in the flood recovery since the start of 2022. ROR is now bringing a new front to their grassroots community advocacy, with the inaugural Lismore People’s Assembly on Housing taking place this Saturday.
ROR centred on community voice
ROR spokesperson Miriam Torzillo says that from the beginning ROR has centred community voice in all its actions and projects. ‘This project continues the tradition, using a process that is transparent and inclusive.’
ROR says that recent outreach in the streets of Lismore and surrounds has shown that everyday people do not feel represented by the existing political institutions. What has also been nearly unanimous from outreach conversations, is that people feel that it’s ‘the top-end of town, those with power, the elites, the rich, or self-interested politicians’ who are being represented.
Reinventing democracy
The Lismore People’s Assembly seeks to change this in the hopes of reinventing democracy – starting from the ground up, starting in Lismore, with all surrounding communities heartily invited. And not just any kind of democracy, but participatory and deliberative democracy. And everyone is warmly invited.
Taking place on the unceded lands of the Widjabal-Wiabal People of the Bundjalung Nation, The Lismore People’s Council is for everyday people to come together, in a constructive and participatory format that supports everyone to share ideas and listen respectfully to each other and ask: ‘What can this community do to get everyone a home?’
After two hours of facilitated discussion, where every voice is heard and we deliberate to come up with ideas and solutions, then those gathered will decide collectively what to do next.
Have your say
Lismore People’s Assembly founding member Andrew George said the invitation to the community is this: come have your say, meet other members of our diverse community, find common ground, and be part of history as we come together for the first Lismore People’s Assembly.
‘We’ve asked people what they love about the area and the response is often “community” and “diversity”. Let’s embrace what this region is renowned for and strengthen it. We know the housing crisis is crippling this area and making people’s lives hell – governments at all levels haven’t sorted it out so it’s up to us. I’m excited to see what solutions the community comes up with.’
The Participatory Community Assembly will be held on Saturday, from 1pm to 3.30pm at the Red Dove Cafe, in Lismore. Find out more at: facebook.com/events/1656872094883967
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