In December 2015 I attended “Democracy in the 21st Century”, an international conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina —the library on the site of the iconic ancient one of Alexandria, Egypt.

The challenges facing our planet require that the practice of representative democracy — whether small-scale or large — be made fully representative.

Library director Dr. Ismail Serageldin provided an overview of what transpired during the three days. See his summary, attached.

Of particular interest to me is the use of sortition (random selection) to choose representatives for policy making bodies. David Schecter succinctly presented the virtues and the challenges of this innovation. See his presentation, also attached.

I distributed my short stage play about sortition — “Our Common Lot”. The play had generated lively discussion at a previous staged reading.

I will send a copy of the play to anyone who contributes to Common Lot Productions. Send a check to: 101 Ridgewood Road / Baltimore MD 21210 / USA. Or donate electronically via PayPal on the front page of this website. [Contributions are not tax-exempt.]

No matter how little or how much you consider yourself politically engaged, the need for informed and deliberative ‘voice equality’ pervades all aspects of our lives.