Crowdsourcing a Constitution: Claiming Back the State for the People!

Citizen participation in Constitution drafting is no longer a cumbersome process today. Social networking engines provided public discourse the needed reboot to encourage wider people’s participation. Distance and time are barriers no more. Interfacing via social network sites are the new medium of forming opinions and persuading people to agree.

Crowdsourcing is a method where ordinary citizens are given a chance to discuss and propose the provisions that they like to put in a constitution or statute. Iceland has engaged in this dynamic process in 2009-2011 as part of its phenomenal Kitchenware Revolution. Grassroots and e-discussions on the drafting of a new constitution filled both public and private spheres until a proposal to convene a Constitutional Assembly of 25 people to work on the actual drafting of the new Constitution was actually passed by the Parliament. 

Crowdsourcing concept is premised on citizen participation and social mobilization. Apathy and indifference are anathema to it. It involves mobilization of creative human talents and material resources. It is possible only with consistent and patient guidance of facilitators whose job is to encourage discussion of public issues and concerns. Dangers of manufacturing consent of course are always there. And hence, the tendency to castrate self-expression by these facilitators should be checked and avoided.

What would crowdsourcing mean to the present Philippine society?

It signifies the right of the people to claim back the State from the hands of oligarchic political interests. It is synonymous with open discussion of issues confronting the people and their government which can lead to full scrutiny of our political life. With the massive movement of people, in and out of the social networking sites, the ability of government propaganda machines to manufacture consent is lessen until eventually, they could no longer abuse and misuse the opinions of the people. Crowdsourcing will empower the people to claim back political power which has been taken hostage by dynastico-personalist politicians through bribery, coercion, deceit and high tech machinations.

What does crowdsourcing demand from the people?

It demands openness and sensitivity as it requires the genuine participation of the widest possible number of people. It obliges us to have highly inquisitive spirit as we attempt to bare all to see what went wrong in our government and society so that we can rebuild them with truth and sincerity. It directs us to be conscious and resolute as we restructure the Philippine society and root out the pretentious and mediocre corrupt dynastico-personalist regime. It requires us to be one with the masses as no real change is possible without a social revolution emanating from those who are still excluded from the physical and virtual world.

Crowdsourcing the Constitution should be a call for social and political revolution. Anything less will fall prey to the regime that lives on corruption, mediocrity and shameful display of arrogance. Superficial reforms can no longer root out what have become systemic and deep-seated defects in the Philippine society. People should change themselves and the structures which their ineptness and indifference had helped to create. As such, they should be invited to dream again and live on the idea that unless they take back the power from dynastico-personalist politicians and the oligarchy their lives can never change.

Crowdsourcing a constitution is an idea whose time has come!