CODE And Other Religions
Among the distinguishing features of CODE none is conceived of as more important than its religious character. Religious belief is seen as providing the added strength of devotion to democracy without which it appears to be failing - failing, at least, to achieve a smooth and continuous advance or even stability. It may, I suspect, be quite widely regarded as "flaky", a very poorly organised assemblage of confused and divided individual opinions which increasingly threatens to fly apart under the impetus of its own freedom, and at best struggles to maintain a strong societal direction. The idea that democracy will prove to be an idea that the people could rule when it turned out they couldn't must be taken seriously. The task of belying that perception by ensuring that that freedom and individuality is a unique pre-eminent source of societal strength appears to require disciplined application to a numberof powerful factors simultaneously in system, requiring personal emotional and intellectual commitment of which spirituality is the generally recognised nature or source. The title volume argues that this must come from genuine belief in freedom rather than societal expediency.
CODE Actions
The range of action CODE might engage in, by which I mean attempts to influence people and institutions in ways consistent with its beliefs and goals, looks to be as many and varied as society and its elements. Change to society's governing structures - the Senate and the States to go - campaigns in issues like secondary schooling - curiculum and assessment - the establishment of a more rationally democratic and harmonising presence on Twitter and other social media, with the understanding that implies of the processes debate now does and needs to involve, are a few highlights of those raised in the books.
CODE chapters would act autonomously according to the views and activities favoured by their members, including collaboratively with other chapters.
Education
Education, in a broad sense of understanding how the world works, is something CODE will have to address, for members and the community generally. The universities are no longer reliable as sources of democratic education, now subject to eccentric ideological extremes remote from popular thinking. A situation where CODE issued educational credentials is a feasible but speculative possibility for the future. However CODE will entail educational levels, at least at leadership level, beyond undergraduate university degrees.
Democratic Developments
I think CODE should chronicle developments in democracy around the world. I suspect this could be a task beyond my time and resources, what with everything else, so input from CODE members may help here, maybe even through links to their websites. If all I can do is list major developments, people can do their own further reading, and there is always Google, including some websites specifically devoted to monitoring democracy.