Ministry of Social Trust

Theme:

The political polarization between urban and rural areas drew my attention to democratic deficiencies and demands. In my understanding, populism is a sign of unmet democratic demands, a lack of involvement in the decisions above citizens' heads. I understand populism as a radical democratic promise that aims to emancipate the many from the oppression of the few.

Approach:

I explored the problems of rural places and strategically narrowed them down to democratic disillusionment, mistrust, and demobilization. I continued exploring solutions for civic mobilization and engagement, increasing political awareness, and bridging communities. I defined one which I considered to be the most systematic: using digital tools, especially social networks, to build daily democratic engagement.

Research:

Generative workshops with expert and non-expert participants, interviews with experts in peasant studies, desk research on populism.

Result:

The Ministry of Social Trust is a more or less discursive proposal for a somewhat populist institution, which is an oxymoron in itself since populism usually erodes institutions. However, in this case, it's meant to heal the eroded perception of governance and politics by acknowledging populist democratic demands. It is meant to be responsible for the quality of democratic decisions and the political environment in which the decisions are made.

---