By Kelsey Ehler

On December 30, 2009, Stephen Harper decided that Canadians didn’t care about democracy and accountability. He shut down parliamentary debate because he wasn’t winning the day. But Canadians, in an incredible display of participatory democracy, organized themselves through Facebook, and translated those connections into community-based engagement. The energy was palpable.

I remember those heady days of January. The prorogation. The protests. Canadians were furious over the actions of Harper and the situation in Ottawa, and decided to take action. Over 2,000 people took to the streets in Vancouver alone.

But the passage of time took the teeth out of the issue, especially as it drew nearer to the resumption of Parliament. Once the MPs were back in their seats and the prorogation was over, why care? It would be like getting upset that the sun rose that morning.

The problem with that stance, practical though it may be on the face of it, is that the problems demonstrated by the prorogation have not been resolved. Prime Minister Harper called for prorogation because he assumed that Canadians would not care. We demonstrated that we did, but happens now?

We have no guarantee that a non-binding resolution passed in the House of Commons will prevent a future prime minister from using prorogation in an egregious fashion. Nor are we guaranteed that voter turnout come the next election will be higher than 2008’s abysmal numbers (59.1 percent) or that our apathetic selves will hold politicians—federal, provincial, and municipal—to account the rest of the time.

But there seems to be little motivation for individuals to get involved. To their eyes, their single vote doesn’t account for any more than $2, give or take, in public campaign financing. Newspapers are replete with examples of politicians behaving badly, from sponsorship scandals to tantrums at the airport. If we don’t respect and trust our elected representatives, and the institution of government which they serve, then how can we have confidence in their ability to deliver?

The more alienated individuals become, the more governments can run roughshod over them. But if you’ll pardon the cliché, there’s strength in numbers. The more we do to reduce alienation, increase critical awareness of the issues, and increase participation, the more we’ll create the government we deserve.

On January 23, a group called Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament organized a nationwide protest. It is continuing to advocate for participatory democracy, but under a new name. CAPP has changed its name to Canadians Advocating Political Participation to better reflect its new mandate: to defend and restore Canadian democracy, to educate Canadians on their political system, and to encourage greater political participation by all citizens.

CAPP has planned a National Week of Dialogue, which will take place throughout Canada between May 8 and 15. Vancouver’s own Day of Dialogue is planned for May 15 at the Unity Church (5840 Oak Street). This event will give the public an opportunity to engage in dialogue on the subject of participatory democracy and voter apathy, and move toward real solutions for fostering citizen participation.

CAPP remains a grassroots, nonpartisan organisation. We welcome Canadians of all political affiliations, from Liberal, Conservative, NDP, and Green, to none of the above. We welcome the politically active and the politically apathetic alike.

Kelsey Ehler is a volunteer for Canadians Advocating Political Participation, whose Vancouver chapter may be found on Facebook and Twitter.