Why This Project Exists

Several years ago, I participated in a training exercise that changed the way I see collaboration and, honestly, the way I see people in general.

We were told to imagine that our plane had crashed. Scattered around the wreckage were several items and we had to choose the ten that would give us the best chance of survival. We each made our choices privately based on our own instincts and experiences.

Then the facilitator changed the rules. We had to repeat the exercise – but as a group. There were no leaders. No voting. No handing the decision to the loudest person. If someone stayed quiet, it was our responsibility to invite them into the discussion because they might have knowledge the rest of us didn’t have.

So, we began talking.

One woman said she picked the string because her grandfather always carried string in his pocket. Someone else chose the black trash bag because the Girl Scouts she worked with used them for dozens of survival tasks. Another person shared how he had handled an emergency before.

Slowly, we realized something important. None of us had all the knowledge but together, we had far more than any one of us alone.

When it came time to score the results, the facilitator showed us our individual survival scores. Then we averaged the scores for the group. Finally, he gave us the score for our collaborative list.

Our chances for survival skyrocketed when we worked together as a group – far above any individual score. Not because any of us were experts. Not because we followed a formal process. But because we listened to one another, drew from our different experiences, and made something stronger than any one person could make alone.

This is the kind of collaboration we want to foster here. Not experts talking down to people, but people lifting each other up – blending experiences, insights, skills, and perspectives. Our goal isn’t perfect writing, it is collective wisdom.

Mission Statement

We The People Project 2026 is a collaborative, reform-minded initiative focused on strengthening democracy, expanding rights, increasing representation, and building a more equitable future.

This project is rooted in the belief that government must reflect the will, dignity, and lived experiences of the people – not the agendas of political elites, authoritarian movements, or entrenched power structures.

We are reformist, pro-democracy, future-focused.

Core Values

Contributors should align with the project’s core values:

• pro-democracy
• pro-equality
• pro-civil rights
• reality-based
• reformist
• future-oriented
• collaborative

We Cannot Emphasize This Enough:

You do not need to be an expert or an academic! You simply need a genuine commitment to constructive civic engagement. This project is FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE. We need input from different perspectives.

Who This Project Is For

We welcome participants who:

• believe in strengthening democracy
• value equality and civil rights
• support expanding freedoms
• approach ideas with integrity
• want to create constructive solutions
• collaborate respectfully
• work in good faith

Who This Project Is Not For

This project is not intended for:

• authoritarian or anti-democratic ideologies
• discriminatory or extremist views
• bad-faith contributions
• misinformation or propaganda
• attempts to undermine civil liberties
• efforts to derail or sabotage the collaborative process

This is a principled space for building a people-powered blueprint – not a debate forum.

Contributor Expectations

Writers agree to:

1. Participate in good faith
2. Follow the project’s mission and values
3. Focus on solutions
4. Base contributions on evidence and truth
5. Treat other writers with civility and respect

Project moderators may remove content or contributors who act against the project’s values.