CLEISTHENES

CLEISTHENES, is the major creator of the institutions allowing real participative democracy, in Athens 2500 years ago. He opened ways for all citizens to participate freely and with equal importance of speech, within regular assemblies. The effects of their collective communications have been the most important discoveries and creations of Mankind History. It has been called : « The Greek Miracle ». Cleisthenes was the first to understand that democracy cannot be developed within rivalries constantly occurring between family clans. He imagined new ways allowing identification with the City rather than with the clan. He put in place a division of Athens population into ten “Collectivities”, each including citizens of the three territorial types : rural, littoral, urban. Thereafter, he improved these ten collectivities, by creating institutions ensuring participation of everyone and all to the Legislative Assembly and to the Tribunals. By doing so he created the first participative democracy of History with the personal contribution of about 40,000 citizens in Athens, which exported his model to hundreds of Greek Cities.