The Public Place is a compilation of editorials that have appeared over the last six years in the Montreal Milton-Park community newspaper called Place Publique. The editorials deal with a broad range of issues that affect Mr. Roussopoulos' neighbourhood: politics, community, economics, and the environment. The foremost intent of the community newspaper was to engage citizens to look outward at the community as a whole, and hopefully, question, debate, and discuss the issues that were most important to their locale.
So why should we, from other cities, other neighbourhoods, or other countries, be interested in the affairs of the Milton-Park community? At first I wasn't sure if I would be. After reading the first 20 pages or so, I wasn't convinced that reviewing details about Montreal's intrinsic problems would be an effective way to understand citizen participation in general. But in the end, I was wrong. Once through the politics chapter, the book became pleasurable.
The next chapters were filled with facts about Montreal and society in general: Walmart, the atomic bomb, cars, pollution, and the GDP. And then the book comes to an end. For some reason, I was expecting Mr. Roussopoulos to end the book with instructions on how to apply all this information. I felt as though Mr. Roussopoulos had turned his back on me and walked away. What exactly should we do?
After spending some time reflecting, I was reminded of a short story. For me, it summarizes, leaving out the facts and statistics, what The Public Place is about. So bear with me a little longer.
"Yagi had been assigned to be the foreteller of a troubled planet in the galaxy of Gixcon. Yagi was there to try and understand why the inhabitants of this planet had become so apathetic and cynical. The inhabitants of Ika had been around for millions of years, and had prospered. However their prosperity was in danger because groups were taking on large projects that were destroying their planet and at the same time making those who worked on these mega projects miserable. A watchful Yagi, although by no means an expert in science, philosophy, or politics, was there to analyze their society and help them realign and ensure that they continue to prosper for many millions of years to come.
"One day, Yagi decided that he had observed them long enough. It was time to give them some advice. He greeted the first person he saw, and after introducing himself and explaining his mission to this inhabitant, his new found friend said: "How exactly do you think you can help us?" Yagi replied, "Let me first ask you some questions. On Ika, I have noticed that most families and groups have successfully been living together in the same home, children and guardians, for many, many years. What do you think makes a home or group work?"
"Well, in my home we must all share each other's everyday affairs," he said. Yagi quickly asked him, "What would happen if you didn't?"
"Well, we would most certainly hurt and alienate others in the home. If we didn't regularly discuss concerns, projects, and opinions, how could we possibly live together?"
Yagi smiled, and just before leaving for his own planet, said "Why should a successful neighbourhood, city, or planet be different from a successful home?"
Very much like the foreteller of Ika, Mr. Roussopoulos knows that the success of his planet, and more importantly, his city, requires that dialogue, exchanges, opinions, and ideas be a matter for all. Don't read Public Place expecting a master plan, or a blueprint for a successful community. However, you can expect it to help you open your own eyes into your own community. Someday you may be invited to its public place.
--Jean-Michel Lemieux is a volunteer at the Peace and Environment Resource Centre