In this Good News Santa Cruz program Christine Barrington interviews political scientist Paul Schaarfsma about the power of participatory democracy to reclaim and rejuvenate civil action from the local level all the way to Washington D.C.
Paul Schaarfsma is a UCSC trained political scientist. He shares his journey of political awakening beginning in the forests of Northern California and continuing through today. After serving underprivileged citizens in the central valley and deepening his understanding of how income inequality destroys the fabric of social justice, Paul describes his potent political transformation after encountering the ideas of Hannah Arendt in the last semester of his political science program.
Paul’s heart, intellect, and vision for what participatory democracy can do to enliven the moral conscience of America is a valuable introductory first step for the community of Santa Cruz. Stay tuned for further interviews with this marvelous humanist who wishes to ignite in each of us an appreciation for the place of our own voice and will in the political architecture of this country.
