What is a 'Petition'? How do you use it? ✍️ What's going on in the Bunkyo City Council #16
"Even if I go to vote, nothing will change anyway."
"Politics is just for people who are angry and protesting, right?"
Don't you think so?
Actually, there is a "hidden infrastructure" that allows you to deliver those frustrations to politics.
Is the idea that politics equals anger outdated?
If you connect your simple questions to the actual floor of the assembly—this time, we will provide an explanation and trends regarding"Petitions (Seigan)".
No ignoring allowed! Outstanding legal binding force
There are two types of requests to the assembly: "Chinjo" (representations) and "Seigan" (petitions). While Chinjo are well-known, they carry no legal obligation. If the assembly decides to "ignore it this time," that is the end of it.
But "Petitions" are different. This is because they are protected by the Constitution and the Local Autonomy Act.
Citizen's Right: It is not merely a custom, but a legitimate right guaranteed by Article 16 of the Constitution and Article 124 of the Local Autonomy Act.
Assembly's Obligation: The assembly has an obligation to examine every petition it receives and must have all members vote on whether to "adopt" or "reject" it.
Even if it's not an election, you can directly deliver your frustrations to the assembly and get an answer—that is the trump card of a petition.
Is the goal adoption? Or is it to bring focus?
Despite their strong binding force, petitions do not have the power to "guarantee" implementation.
The goal is to make your question a "local issue" by having it discussed in the assembly.
To examine whether to adopt a petition, both assembly members and the administration must conduct thorough research.
You can request follow-ups to visualize progress, or submit new petitions to delve deeper into the discussion.
Whether it is adopted or not, you can connect it to your next action.
Are assembly members gatekeepers? Or are they your "faves"?
The biggest hurdle in delivering a petition to the assembly is the"Introduction Member"system.
Because of the rule that "it cannot be submitted without the introduction of one or more members," there is no end to "gatekeeper" members who refuse to introduce them, saying they "cannot agree with the purpose."
Therefore, I propose a"Petition Experience Kit (Playbook)"to jump over this hurdle.
"Junior/Senior High School" version playbook to use the assembly as teaching material
Visualize the frustrations of your school or class using an "exchange diary" and submit it to the assembly. To lower the hurdle for petitions, have the whole class sign and anonymize it, and use the opportunity of observing the committee examining the petition in class as a form of sovereign education."Gender" version playbook to check assembly members
Monitor whether the introduction member is being "condescending (paternalistic)" regarding petitions related to gender equality or women's empowerment. This is an approach to force improvement in assembly members' gender awareness by publishing and evaluating the entire process up to the examination on social media."Favorite Member" version playbook as a basis for election decisions
Deliver your wishes to the member you voted for in the last election as a fan letter to your "favorite member." Check if they respond to your trust, press them on requests and points for improvement, and use it as a basis for deciding whether to vote for them again in the next election.
Instead of asking a member to "introduce it for you," you test the member through the introduction—this is a "change in perspective" to regain the initiative in politics for yourself.
Even a love letter is okay! The digital transformation of petitions
To change our perspective, it is also important to redesign the UI/UX of politics, moving away from rigid, formal documents and high-barrier procedures.
Lowering the barrier with design
From "ZINEs" that illustrate how the petition system works, to "Uncertainty Excavation Sheets" for putting your discomfort into words, and "Petition Template Collections" that look like love letters or diaries—you can use the system in a pop-culture way depending on your ideas.Submit with a tap on your smartphone
If you don't need advice from a sponsoring council member or the council secretariat, you can submit it via email along with an input confirmation checklist. All that's left is to wait for a "I saw it!" reply from your "favorite council member."
Petitions are no longer just for a select few "civic activists."
An update to a "communication tool with the council" that you can use is currently underway.
Your "uncertainty" moves the city
Being "political" is not about getting angry or finding enemies.
It is about being able to pose "questions" to your city with your own hands.
Instead of feeling like you've "participated in politics" by venting frustrations or criticizing someone, why not turn the uncertainties you feel every day into questions for society and throw them to the council?
That small sense of discomfort you felt today might become the next question that moves the city.