Organisms Democracy Stühlinger Kirchplatz
What do you mean, public space, you invasive, alien species?

Collective urban development from “the very grassroots“ in the context of the Stühlinger Kirchplatz in Freiburg, Germany. Club Real as part of the Freiburg Festival 2020 “Performing Democracy”.

>>>PDF territory with Species and Parliamentary Groups

Give your voice to democracy!

March 28th 2020, 3pm, Stühlinger Kirchplatz_Freiburg_SESSION of the Parliament of Living Beings——– canceled due to corona ——-

The parliament of living beings stands for the beginning of an upheaval that aims at a democratic coexistence of human and non-human collectives.
We invite you, as a representative for an Organisms Group, to fight for the interests of the clematis, the meadow stork snail, the kestrel or another species by participating in dispute. The results of the dispute will be implemented and presented within the framework of the Freiburg Festival 2020 “performing democracy”.

CONTACT US IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE Parliament of Living Beings: info@clubreal.de or 0179 52 55 802

I. Idea
Urban development is increasingly accompanied by citizen participation procedures. Who are the citizens and users who are asked about the design of public spaces? What exactly can they decide on within the framework of the specifications and drafts from experts, offices, politicians and planning offices?
Organisms Democracy gives new and radical answers:

1. Participants
   Citizens of a public place are all organisms who live there and in the vicinity or who regularly visit the place. Regardless of assessment criteria such as species, age, origin, nationality, residence status, income ratio or state of health, only the status “living being who uses the place” counts.
2. Decision-making power
   The question of what a public space needs in order to enable all organisms to live well together across all species is opened up for the suggestions of all users. The numerous non-human living beings are represented by humans who take on the task to speak for the other living beings. In the context of a general assembly, a majority resolution of all organism and group representatives is used to take decisions, which are then implemented with an assigned budget.

II. Process
The model of Organisms Parliament (see Vienna – Link and Berlin – link) is adopted and further developed for Organisms Democracy at the Stühlinger Kirchplatz in Freiburg, which has often been in the media in recent years as an urban conflict zone. 23 members of Parliament – two each from the seven organism groups (Worms and Molluscs, Arthropods, Trees Shrubs Climbers, Perennials Grasses Herbs, Fungi Mosses Lichens, Vertebrates (except humans), BacteriaSingle Celled Organisms Viruses and a further 9 standing for human interest- and user groups of the Stühlinger church square (Church parishes, communities with a predominantly Ghanaian background, social workers, green space office, police, citizens’ association with mainly German background, the festival management of “Performing Democracy”, passers-by).
In this “City Parliament of Living Beings” on March 28th 2020 at 3:00 pm, all positions on the current and future desired living conditions on Stühlinger Kirchplatz will be made audible and suggestions for changes to the design will be discussed and agreed. The first budget available for this body and its resolutions is a budget of 7,000 Euros granted by the “Performing Democracy” festival. A festival center will be designed and built that takes into account the interests and needs of all living beings living on Stühlinger Kirchplatz.
The realization of the festival center should at the same time sound out possibilities and potentials for the development of the coexistence of all living beings on the square and make suggestions to improve this beyond the festival period. In this way, the „Parliament of Living Beings“ starts a process that aims at creating the City of Living Beings, a democratic coexistence of human and non-human collectives who develop their civilizations not against each other but together and for mutual benefit.

The presentation of the measures decided upon and subsequently implemented by the Parliament of Living Beings will take place as part of the Freiburg Festival 2020 “Performing Democracy” from May 20, 2020 on Stühlinger Kirchplatz.
——— not applicable for 2020 due to corona ——–