The Fontis Declaration: A Declaration for Our Times

At Fontis we are driven by a shared view that more and better involvement can, indeed must, define the times we live in.  It is crucial to the quality of our collective futures.  We believe the time is right for such a rallying call for involvement because:

We celebrate the many positive examples which show the power of public involvement.
These provide a strong impetus for even more impact to be achieved.  But we are concerned at the way in which the involvement of the public can be undervalued, fragmented, abused and manipulated. Despite gradual introduction into public policy and practice, and some transformational user-driven change having occurred, the divide between public officials and citizens and between professionals and citizens has in many ways increased.  This is dangerous for the participative democracy which we advocate.

We welcome the current debate on civic society, and on individual and state responsibilities. Yet the dominant view on involvement from within the system remains largely suspicious, paternalistic and tokenistic. There is a widespread failure to understand the benefits and practices of engagement which makes it vulnerable in an age of reduced expenditure.  A half-hearted approach to involvement increases mistrust and disengagement.  At a time of huge social change, there is a danger public services will be fundamentally rethought without effective public involvement and then “legitimised” with the trappings of involvement. This is not just a lost opportunity; it is a recipe for social upheaval.

We recognise that policies and practices within the system are changing.
We welcome some aspects of the Big Society initiative as a stimulus for thinking and action, provided it avoids generating a form of enforced voluntarism.  We fear that cuts in expenditure on public services will lead to a downgrading of involvement activity at a time when it is most important, not least in amplifying the voice of the vulnerable, who are most likely to affected. Instead we argue for a diversity of philosophies and approaches which we believe strengthen shared decision-making and achieve positive social outcomes. 

We understand the challenge offered to everyone by the complex, shifting, contradictory nature of public involvement. This challenge is uncomfortable yet it is what makes involvement still more necessary and powerful.

We advocate for involvement as the foundation of sound decision-making, based on the power of open processes, created with insight and skill.  It is a misunderstanding that involvement is inherently bureaucratic, divisive and delaying. Representative democracy alone does not reflect the ever-shifting diversity and differences in communities. We wish to create the conditions in which involvement acts as a driver for change which is based on an active, participative democracy.

We oppose each and every abuse of public involvement, whether performed by those entrusted with acting on the public’s behalf or by the public themselves.  We support action to highlight and correct such practices.  We will challenge those who use the rhetoric of involvement as cover for destructive social and economic action, where effective involvement could be a strong safeguard. We reject the use of involvement processes as a force for automatic, unthinking opposition (such as “Nimbyism”), as a means for undermining legitimate decision-making and heightening division, mistrust and undemocratic activities.

We will act where practices are failing citizens and collective action is required.