STEPS TO DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE ALLIANCE

Step 1

The first step in building a discourse alliance is to analyse existing discourse

communities for commonalities between their expectations and promises.

The JCWG is already made up of different discourse communities such as ‘equity’,

‘inclusiveness’, ‘justice’ etc. Our members represent these communities. However, to
get a clearer picture of which other discourse communities are missing and yet critical
to the transformation, we would need the discourse mapping exercise and be open to
invite representatives from these groups. Henrik will moderate this exercise on Feb 4
2020 workshop.

Step 2

Second, a utopian vantage point needs to be imagined where the promises of key, if not
all, communities will converge. This vantage point is the new development paradigm.

The JCWG had already identified the ‘just city’ as the utopian vantage point and the four
principles to arriving at it developed.

Step 3

Third, game changing structural drivers need to be identified which have the widely
accepted potential to transform the current situation.

The JCWG engagement with Urban Boards and Citizens Fora is part of the structural
game changers. However, there is potential for enhancing this engagement through
strategies to be researched, discussed and tried out in at least 2 counties. We would
then arrive at a ‘just city’ model that can be scaled up and tried by other counties.

Step 4

Fourth, around these game changers, a narrative needs to be constructed which

credibly explains how society can reach this practical utopia. To build bridges, this
change narrative needs to be framed in a language which resonates with different
discourse communities.

The Just City publication offers an opportunity to build the narrative. The publication
should be able to speak to the various discourse communities and enable us kick start
the media engagement to influence general public discourse. Strategic partnerships with
organizations represented in JCWG such as Uraia Trust could be approached to push the
narrative further to its discourse community. We would need to sharpen this kind of
strategic engagements in a cost-effective and creative way.

Step 5

Fifth, a transformative political platform needs to be constructed which reflects the

enlightened interests of key constituencies. To be clear, this platform should not seek
the lowest common denominator between the interests in the here and now but
describe the convergence of redefined interests in the new development paradigm.

The JCWG can seek to exploit the political goodwill in the 2 counties to build traction for
the narrative within other county bodies such as regional economic blocks and the CoG.
It could lobby for buy in from key national government institutions such as SDHUD and
Assembly committees. The Urban Boards and Citizens Fora would then help bridge the
citizens interest with the political class. By leveraging our contribution to UACA
implementation we can potentially build this political platform.

Step 6

Sixth, transformative practical projects need to be devised which allows key

constituencies to pursue their newly defined interests individually. Yet, the convergence
of redefined interests in the new development paradigm will channel these individual
actions onto a common trajectory. In the new paradigm, changing calculations of risk
and opportunity will induce actors to change their behaviour, and by doing so shift the
opportunity structures for other actors. Redefined interests allow for cooperation
between actors who used to be antagonists. Based on the new interest calculus, and
encouraged by successful cooperation on joint projects, a broad societal change
coalition can emerge out of the discourse alliance.

We would need to develop a catalytic project in 2020 which all members can work on
both within the JCWG interests and their own organizational/professional interests. We
had proposed two topics: Socially Just Public Transport and Social Housing. The former
has already been developed to quite an advanced stage by a FES supported working
group, but the latter hasn’t. We would need consensus from JCWG members on social
housing as a topic to develop a catalytic project around it unless they prefer another
topic. The topic chosen should inform our engagement with Urban Boards and Citizen
Fora and also inform our ‘just city’ model.