Announcer - 00:00:03:
Welcome to Revolutionary Optimism. Living at this time in history, we're challenged with the convergence of crises that is affecting our daily lives. Issues like economic hardship, a teetering democracy, and the worsening climate emergency have left many Americans feeling more despair than ever. To respond to the challenging times we're living through, physician, humanitarian, and social justice advocate Dr. Paul Zeitz has identified Revolutionary Optimism as a new cure for hopelessness, despair, and cynicism. Once you commit yourself as a revolutionary optimist, you can bravely unleash your personal power, hashtag unify with others, and accelerate action for our collective repair, justice, and peace. On this podcast, Dr. Paul is working to provide you with perspectives from leaders fighting for equity, justice, and peace on their strategies, insights, and tools for overcoming adversity and driving forward revolutionary transformation with unbridled optimism and real-world pragmatism. Here's your host, Dr. Paul Zeitz.
Paul - 00:01:03:
Hey, this is Dr. Paul Zeitz. Happy New Year. I hope you had a blessed and loving holiday season with your family and friends and that you're... Rejuvenated and ready to enter 2025 with zest. We had a rough year last year, our country and our world, and this year is sure to be even more intense with more challenges, but also more opportunities. Frankly, we're at a crossroads, a crossroads between peril and possibilities. And with that awareness of this moment that we're in, I'm thinking of myself as a hospice worker and supporting the easeful, peaceful dying of the old systems, and at the same time serving as a midwife as we're birthing the new systems. So that's how I'm making sense of this moment for myself. And I'm honored now to share with you an action alert from #unifyUSA, a movement dedicated to constitutional reconstruction. A call for citizens' assemblies. Mobilizing towards a National People's Convention. This call to action is being announced on the four-year anniversary of January 4, 2021, when there was a violent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol that tried to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power. And from that moment on, I think we all knew. That The United States stands at a historic crossroads. The rise of authoritarianism, deepening political polarization, and systemic inequities threaten the integrity of our democracy. Trust in government institution has plummeted to historic lows. Yet within this crisis lies an extraordinary opportunity. July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a moment to honor America's revolutionary legacy. And recommit to building a more just, equitable, and sustainable society. As the founder of #unifyUSA, I'm joining with others, calling for the creation of citizens' assemblies at the local, regional, state, and national levels over the next year and a half that will culminate in a National People's Convention by July 4th, 2026. An inter-partisan movement can mobilize people from all walks of life, across political ideologies, cultural backgrounds, and regions to design a shared future. This is not a partisan endeavor. It is a unifying movement to protect democracy, honor human dignity, and safeguard our planet for future generations. Citizens' assemblies will forge solutions to protect democracy, reflect the interdependence of the American people. Humanity, and the Earth. And address the pressing challenges of our time. Building an Interpartisan Movement. This effort must transcend partisanship. Uniting Americans from all political backgrounds who share a commitment to protecting democracy. Only through a broad inter-partisan coalition Can we achieve transformative change? Here's how we can mobilize. Local Citizens' Assemblies. In 2025, Begin hosting citizens' assemblies in communities everywhere. Focusing on shared values and practical solutions to challenges you are all facing at your local level. This can be at the community level. It could be at a church level. It could be at a school level. It could be at a business level. All local assemblies are welcome. Regional and state assemblies. In early 2026, #unifyUSA will be hopefully catalyzing ways to connect these local and assemblies to regional and state assemblies. Where representatives will collaborate on national priorities and identify solutions, including those related to constitutional reconstruction. Then a National People's Convention. We can culminate with a representative convention by July 4th, 2026, to draft a reconstructed New Constitution based on the deliberation of millions of Americans. And lastly, public education and advocacy. We are launching a national campaign to educate the public about democracy by assembly, citizens' assemblies. Countering disinformation, and building support for urgent constitutional reconstruction. Interdependence is a guiding principle. Our shared humanity and interdependence as Americans form the foundation of this movement, whether Democrat, Republican, independent, or unaffiliated. We are all bound by the same truce. We are interdependent as a nation. The strength of our democracy depends on our ability to collaborate across differences and work for the common good. As political theorist Danielle Allen writes, democracy thrives when citizens actively engage with one another to shape their collective future. Number two, we are interdependent with humanity. Global issues such as the climate emergency, migration, and technological governance demand international cooperation and solidarity, on top of wars and security. As Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si', the well-being of any nation is inseparable from the well-being of humanity as a whole. Number three, we are interdependent with Earth. The climate emergency underscores humanity's dependence on living in harmony with the planet's ecosystems. The 2023 United Nations Climate Report warns that the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing and making bold policy shifts now is essential. Today, we must reconstruct our democracy that reflects the values of equity, justice, and sustainability and honors our interdependence. The Threat of Authoritarianism. Authoritarianism rarely arrives overnight. It grows insidiously, fueled by polarization, disinformation, and the erosion of democratic norms. The United States has shown clear signs of democratic backsliding with declining public trust in elections, judicial independence and the media. Key warning signs include efforts to suppress voter turnout, particularly among marginalized groups. Disinformation campaigns that fracture communities, and delegitimize democratic institutions. Attempts to centralize executive power at the expense of legislative and judicial checks and balances. If we fail to act, these trends could undermine the freedoms upon which our country was founded. So why citizens' assemblies? Citizens' assemblies offer a proven method for addressing complex issues and rebuilding public trust. These assemblies bring together randomly selected citizens who deliberate on key issues with the guidance of experts, fostering meaningful inter-partisan dialogue, and concludes with a rough consensus of solutions. Citizens' assemblies are a path to unify. They bring together these randomly selected citizens who are representative of the broader population to deliberate on key issues. With expert guidance and facilitated discussions, they foster meaningful, interpartisan dialogue. In 2025 and 2026, citizens' assemblies can rebuild trust in our democracy. Address structural failures. Build an interpartisan framework, and lay the foundation for a National People's Convention. They will play a critical role in building consensus across deep divides. Why is 2025 and 2026 our window of opportunity? The risks of inaction are clear. Authoritarianism often rise in divided societies where trusted institutions erodes and grievances fester unchecked. Research from the Varieties of Democracy Institute show how incremental democratic backsliding can lead to the collapse of freedoms. The years 2025 to 2026 represent a critical window to mobilize. If we act now, we can create the necessary momentum for constitutional reconstruction before the divisive 2028 presidential election. Delaying action risks further polarization and entrenched systematic failures, systemic codes. Our current Constitution, written in 1787, no longer meets the demands of the 21st century. Designed for an agrarian society, it enshrines systemic inequities and concentrated power among the privileged few. While amendments have addressed some of these flaws, the framework remains inadequate. To address the modern challenges like economic equality, climate change, and systemic inequality. A National People's Convention by July 4th, 2026. Will serve as the capstone of this movement. A historic gathering where representatives from across the country can come together to draft a reconstructed Constitution. This Constitution will focus on upholding our values of freedom, justice, and sustainability, and key priorities like strengthening our democracy, ensuring a fourth branch, a people's branch, a permanent citizens council at the federal and subnational levels. Advancing equity and human rights, codifying climate action, reforming and modernizing governance. And fostering inclusion. The outcome of the convention would then be taken for ratification and review by the American public through open deliberative processes. So this is a call to action. The stakes could not be higher. The time to act is now. I urge every American to join this movement. Host or participate in a citizens' assembly in your community. Advocate for state and local governments to support these initiatives. Together, we can confront the threat of authoritarianism and create a reconstructed Constitution that reflects our shared values of freedom, interdependence, equity, and sustainability. July 4th, 2026 can be more than a celebration of our past. It can be the beginning of a new chapter in American history. Let us act boldly and urgently to protect democracy for generations to come. Thank you and blessings for the year ahead. Please reach out to me if I can support your efforts in any way. Thank you and have a great week.
Announcer - 00:13:25:
Are you ready to be part of the revolution? To learn more about Revolutionary Optimism, please visit revolutionaryoptimism.com. To get to know Dr. Paul, please visit drpaulzeitz.org. And to explore building movements, please visit unifymovements.org. If you like this show, be sure to follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Revolutionary Optimism, transforming the world one episode at a time.