Bianki for Pirate Parties International

Pirates’ mission: to change the politics, keeping ideals

Valentine Bianki

Pirates and political system: not to“become the part of” but

to “create a new format of”

Report for presentation at the Pirate Parties International conference 2012

Hello from the Dark Side of the Force! :-)

Valentine Bianki

— Ph.D. in political psychology

— Senior scientist Department of Political Science, St. Petersburg State University, Russia

— Political consultant and researcher in political strategies and party-building (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, ...)

— Co-founder of e-Democracy Development Fund, Russia

Several reasons to listen to:

1. To listen to the view from the outside, even if later you decide to do the opposite;

2. To discuss how Pirates can keep their identity during the integration to politics;

?

3. To foresee “growing pains” that pirate movement can probably face.

The structure:Situation/risks/ideas in 12 topics:

1. Objectives

2. Ideology

3. Fundraising

4. Hierarchy

5. Program unification

6. Staff and motivation

7. Image of the ideal political system

8. Dynamics of development and the effect of novelty

9. Partners

10. Electoral positioning

11. Geostrategy

12. Political party as a movement strategy (trap “the party as part of”)

Conclusions: key tips for Pirates

1. Objectives

Situation:

— Growth from 1 goal (struggle with copyright — 2006)

to 10 goals (in 2009)

1. Objectives — Growth from 1 goal (struggle with copyright — 2006) to 10 goals (in 2009)

Risks:

— Extension of brand leads to its erosion, and that reduces support.

— Ultra narrow objective does not allow electoral support to grow, plus it is too easily intercepted by other parties.

Situation:

1. Objectives Situation: — Growth from 1 goal (struggle with copyright — 2006) to 10 goals (in 2009)

Risks: — Ultra narrow objective does not allow electoral support to grow, plus it is too easily intercepted by other parties. — Extension of brand leads to its erosion, and that reduces support.

Ideas:

— Each pirate should be able to explain everything through

something like "Pirate Wheel" in a simple way.

— Priority of e-democracy: and “all the citizens would participate in this discussion and decide by themselves” for every question.

2. Ideology

— Pirates say they are not about ideology (“no politics, only policies”).

Situation:

2. Ideology— Pirates say they are not about ideology (“no politics, only policies”).

Risks:

— Ideology is the nature of politics, ignoring that means pushing intellectuals away.

Situation:

— “We are not politicians, we are pirates” —“New liberal lefts” – because we

struggle for equal access to information, and just distribution of information

wealth.

2. Ideology— Pirates say they are not about ideology (“no politics, only policies”).

Risks: — Ideology is the nature of politics, ignoring that means pushing intellectuals away.

Situation:

Ideas:

3. Fundraising

— “Fear of money” (fear of the commercialization).

Situation:

3. Fundraising — “Fear of money” (fear of the commercialization).

Risks:

— Extension of the political activity at all levels requires a serious amount of professional work.

Situation:

— “A billion from Zuckerberg” (to raise funds from the IT-market players.)

— “Sign-up for donations”

— Creating “pirate business”, for example, “business on paranoia”

3. Fundraising — “Fear of money” (fear of the commercialization).

Risks: — Extension of the political activity at all levels requires a serious amount of professional work.

Situation:

Ideas:

4. Hierarchy

— Total independence

Situation:

4. Hierarchy— Total independence

Risks:

— Coordination of efforts will lead to an increase of bureaucracy, attempts to monopolize;

— Attempts to use pirates can occur;

— Problems with responsibility for the brand.

Situation:

— Develop a greater representativeness, not based on the number of party members, but on

the number of movement members;

4. Hierarchy— Total independence

Risks: — Coordination of efforts will lead to increase of bureaucracy, attempts to monopolize; — Attempts to use pirates can occur; — Problems with responsibility for the brand.

Situation:

Ideas:

— Develop a mechanism for resolving conflicts.

5. Program unification

— In addition to basic goals, the structures themselves define the agenda, including the election one.

Situation:

5. Program unification In addition to basic goals, the structures themselves define the agenda, including the election one

Risks:

— Conflicts between positions of different structures are harmful for electoral support

Situation:

— Too small program autonomy can split the pirate movement, which would be harmful

to its image.

— To form the boundaries of independence at each level.

5. Program unification In addition to basic goals, the structures themselves define the agenda, including the election one.

Risks: — Conflicts between positions of different structures are harmful for electoral support. — Too small program autonomy can split pirate movement, which would be harmful to its image.

Situation:

Ideas:

6. Staff and motivation

Situation:

— Selection based on activity not on professionalism

— No money, only chance to get positions in parliaments

6. Staff and motivation— No money, only chance to get positions in parliaments.— Selection based on activity not on professionalism

Risks:

— Mistakes because of avoiding professionals

Situation:

— Gap between leaders age and the new asset,

disintegration of the structure unity

6. Staff and motivationSituation: — No money, only chance to get positions in parliaments; Selection based on activity not on professionalism

Risks: — Mistakes because of avoiding professionals; — Gap between leaders age and the new asset, disintegration of the structure unity

Ideas:

— Criteria for involvement of paid professionals

— Monitor the process of reproduction of social and age

structure of members and activists

7. Image of the ideal political system

— Pirates don’t have that (the only is “pirates and citizens VS political system”)

Situation:

?

? ??

7. Image of the ideal political system— Pirates don’t have that (“pirates and citizens VS political system”)

Risks:

— 3 or 5 years later pirates will lose novelty, so now it is the time to sum up a serious base.

Situation:

— Voters need to see a holistic image, they must perceive “what

it will be”, or they’ll decrease their passion;

? !?

7. Image of the ideal political system— Pirates don’t have that (“pirates and citizens VS political system”)

Risks:

Situation:

— Voters need to see a holistic image, they must perceive “what it will be”, or they’ll decrease their passion; — 3 or 5 years later pirates will lose novelty, so now it is the time to sum up a serious base.

— New theory of social contract as a state base!

Such base may include “money-filled delegation system“ as a component.

Ideas:

8. Dynamics of development and the effect of novelty

— Super-fast development

Situation:

8. Dynamics of development and the effect of novelty— Super-fast development

Risks:

— “Followers for each new one” effect will finish soon

Situation:

— Predicting recession of interest, try to achieve at least one goal

8. Dynamics of development and the effect of novelty— Super-fast development

Risks: — “Followers for each new one” effect will finish soon

Situation:

Ideas:

9. Partners

— Trade unions for socialists, pirates don’t have that now

Situation:

?

9. Partners— Trade unions for socialists, pirates don’t have that now

Risks:

— Extention only by yourself (without social organizations) can blur the image

Situation:

9. Partners— Trade unions for socialists, pirates don’t have that now

Risks: — Extention only by yourself (without social organizations) can blur the image

Situation:

Ideas:

— Involve creative unions;

— Attract and promote the development of specialized movements ("against the control of the Internet"), including being a technological base, the center of competence for them;

— Shape the pirates into a structure with a wide range of fellows and with narrow purposes.

10. Electoral positioning

“New people”

Situation:

“New topic”

“Funny”

“Against copyright monopoly”

“Against State [state control], for the citizens”

“We are not politicians, we are pirates”

“We have no interests, we have a goal”

“Cool”

10. Electoral positioning Situation: — “New people”, “new topic”, “funny”, “cool”, “against copyright monopoly”, “against State [state control], for the citizens”, “we have no interests, we have a goal,” “we are not politicians, we are pirates”

Risks:

— The loss of the novelty effect;

— Disappointing because of the lack of direct rapid results;

— Perception of pirates as far from social and economic issues movement;

— The temptation to use a primitive way of a differential marketing

10. Electoral positioning Situation: — “New people”, “new topic”, “funny”, “cool”, “against copyright monopoly”, “against state control, for the citizens”, “we have no interests, we have a goal,” “not politicians, but pirates”Risks: — The loss of the novelty effect;— Disappointing because of the lack of direct rapid results; — Perception of pirates as far from social and economic issues movement; — The temptation to use a primitive way of a differential marketing

— Avoid concentrating only on issues about information;

— Do not use the primitive differential marketing;

— Include in work wide field of citizen movements;

- Keep the balance between being funny and being serious (serious articles + brilliant comic action).

— Anonymus as a "military wing of Pirates“

Ideas:

InformationFun

Diff.marketing

Information

Fun

Diff.marketing

Issues on soc/ec. topics

Seriousness

Soft integration with others

11. Geostrategy

— Now movement is spreading with the principle "waiting for initiatives from the field."

Situation:

11. Geostrategy — Now movement is spreading with the principle "waiting for initiatives from the field."

Risks:

— Without total coverage, efficiency in the pursuit of political demands can’t reach maximum level.

Situation:

No geo-spreading means no

influence and idea-spreading

— “Franchise support“, institution of mentors, and "fill" on-line & off-line areas

— Conduct a “road-show” (at least online - that is presentation of opportunities for activists from

“unreached” nations and regions).

11. Geostrategy — Now movement is spreading with the principle "waiting for initiatives from the field."

Risks: — Without total coverage efficiency in the pursuit of political demands couldn’t reach maximum level.

Situation:

Ideas:

12. Political party as a movement strategy (trap "the party as part of ")

— Party receives a portion of power and influence inthree steps: take an issue, make an attempt to convince everybody, get from 1 to 10% at the

elections

Situation:

12. Political party as a movement strategy (trap "the party as part of ")— Party receives a portion of power and influence in? three steps: take an issue, make an attempt to convince everybody, get from 1 to 10% at the elections

Risks:

— Playing political games in parliaments

— Have limitation of the voting shares

— Problem with actual outcome

— “The test of executive power”

Situation:

12. Political party as a movement strategy (trap "the party as part of ")Situation: — Party receives a portion of power and influence in? three steps: take an issue, make an attempt to convince everybody, get from 1 to 10% at the electionsRisks: — Playing political games in parliaments; Have limitation of the voting shares; Problem with actual outcome ;"The test of executive power”

Ideas:

— The Party as the avant-guard of the movement

— Party should try not to become a part of the political system, without assuming the full realization of its goals in practice, but try to capture the channels of

interaction between society, political parties, media, executives, etc:

Political parties

Traditional media and

Social media

The power for change

Society

Political parties


Social media


Society

?Becoming

just another part(y)?

Political parties


Social media


Society

!Becoming

a new part of communication!

Conclusions:

key tips for Pirates

1. Technologies change faster than people do. Be careful not to break away from the population ahead too far.



2. Politics is arranged exactly as it is arranged not by chance – the reason is in laws of human psychology.



2. Politics is arranged exactly as it is arranged not by chance - the reason is in laws of human psychology .

3. Man is weak, and when planning the development of global piracy movement, you should remember that to avoid leaders’ attempts to fix positions for themselves.




3. Man is weak, and planning the development of global piracy movement, you should think of that to avoid leaders attempts to fix positions for themselves.

4. Working without professionals is not the best way to achieve goals







5. First wave of “fashion for pirates” time is limited.







6. To achieve their basic goals, pirates need a soft unification.







6. To achieve their basic goals, pirates need a soft unification.

7. According to their goals, pirates should offer people not “representativeness” but “interaction”.


2. Politics is arranged exactly as it is arranged not by chance - the reason is that human psychology is like that.





6. To achieve their basic goals, pirates need a soft unification 7. According to their goals, pirates should offer people not “representativeness” but “interaction”.

8. Establishing a political party already means that pirates are involved in the politic games more than they would like to. IMHO, pirates need to establish a movement with “true laws” inside

it, and use the party only as a way to deal with current political system.


2. Politics is arranged exactly as it is arranged not by chance - the reason is that human psychology is like that.





6. To achieve their basic goals, pirates need a soft unification 7. According to their goals, pirates should offer people not “representativeness” but “interaction”.

8. Establishing a political party already means that pirates are involved in the politic games more than they would like to. IMHO, pirates need to establish a movement with “true laws” inside it, and use the party only as a way to deal with current political system.

9. Pirates should try to capture the channels of interaction between society, political parties, media, executives, and not just places in parliament.

The goal is not to become just another part of old political system

A new – Pirate – way to act and communicate in politics

But to create

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Contacts:

Slides made by: [email protected]

Thank you for your attention!

Bianki for Pirate Parties International

News & Politics

technologies

ultra narrow

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