Visuomenje

Visuomenje is a term used in sociological and political theory to describe a form of social organization centered on participatory governance, networked deliberation, and transparent institutions. In this concept, decision-making is distributed across local and digital forums, with government, civil society, and economic actors engaging through interoperable platforms. The aim is to align public policy with broad-based civic input while preserving administrative efficiency through modular, interoperable institutions.

The term emerged in the mid-2010s within discussions of digital democracy and urban governance, drawing on practices such as participatory budgeting, open data, and platform cooperativism. Proponents argue that Visuomenje can scale through layered councils, from neighborhood assemblies to regional and national forums, while maintaining accountability through open auditing and public deliberation.

Core features include decentralized governance; local councils; digital public forums; mutual aid networks; commons-based resources; and a commitment to cross-sector collaboration. The model envisions a hybrid ecosystem in which public, private, and civil society actors cooperate to steward shared infrastructures and services.

Economy emphasizes a commons-based and service-oriented model, with cooperative firms, shared infrastructure, and public-private partnerships anchored in universal access to essential services. It prioritizes social investment over pure profit and seeks to align resource allocation with collective welfare.

Education and culture stress civic education, media literacy, collaborative culture, and ongoing public deliberation in schools and communities. Critiques focus on scalability, digital divide, governance overload, information overload, risk of fragmentation, regulatory capture, and potential inefficiency. Supporters argue that hybrid models and pilot programs can address these concerns while preserving openness and resilience.

See also: digital democracy, participatory budgeting, platform cooperativism, commons, open government.