Syrian Outcomes

The Seven (7) Steps to Democratic Government

The first step is the ceasefire.

The second step is to release all the political prisoners.

The third step is to talk, discuss needs, issues, events and endemic problems, across class, gender, professional associations, race, labor unions, religious affiliations, and across the great divide separating the very rich from the very poor.

Step four is to write a constitution,

step five: ratification of the constitution in the new assemblies or in the central divan for the ulama.

Step six: formation of party platforms

Step Seven: elections.

That's the octave of modern state formation. Each 'note' is itself an octave, and each of the smaller octaves are themselves made up of seven elements.

Let us explain, citing an example. We start with a country that has overthrown its leaders, using civil disobedience. Somehow a ceasefire must be effected, and for that to happen, both sides must step down. The process of negotiation, back and forth like a tennis game, can go either way, either building trust, or aggravating the relationship. There is no such thing as the status quo: it's either up or down. Mostly down. So the complexity of getting a ceasefire in place consists of seven activities: from making contact, to recognizing economic and ecological changes, to adapt in order to fulfill material and medical needs, to actually enforcing a ceasefire, to transition into formal talks. And each of these is a complex affair.

We will return to the seven steps in organizing democracies in North Africa and the Middle East.

By John Paul Maynard

The author is, amongst other things, the moderator/instructor of an on line discussion group on