About Vision 21
Vision 21 is indeed a nice example of how people organize themselves because they want to reflect on the rule-based system in which they live. The upcoming logic of communicative self-steering as described by Arnold Cornelis is perfectly illustrated here. When this initiative proves to be succesfull it shows that more people want to think according to the logic of communicative self-steering.

Two questions seem relevant to me:
1. How diverse are the people coming to the meeting?
I do agree with the ‘vision-coach’ at the first meeting that a more diverse audience would lead to more complete vision. This meeting was attented by mostly (perhaps only) high educated people. To create a vision for our Country by the people themselves, means that different perspectives should create the Vision. When only high educated people do form this vision and share a common view, I wonder if that will lead to a different direction in policy making. As the speaker says at the meeting: they do not intend to create a new elite. Policy making happens now also by a community of high educated people. So, I could imagine that the vision that roles out the meetings comes pretty near to the vision of one of our politic organizations. Still this initiative shows that people want to create a vision together and want to reflect on the system.

2. Are the people coming to the meeting not the same people that already participate in the politic scene?
As this is true, then this initiative is a nice way of seeking for new influence but doesn’t neccesary mean that more people become involved in the development of our social ruling system.

Another nice (different) example of more democracy in policy-making is burgerbuddy:
www.burgerbuddy.nl

I think you raise some very important questions here. These new initiatives of more bottom-up participation have something in common with democracy in its earliest days. In ancient Greek society, every Greek citizen could come up with ideas in the agora. Today people want to have the same sort of voice in the discussion of the 21st century society and thanks to modern communication technology they are raising their voice in all sorts of agora (weblogs like this one and the links you mention).

I personally don’t think it is wrong that policy making (in governments or companies) happens by a community of highly educated people as long as these people have respect for the self-steering of other people and society builds this into its own DNA. That way new and different voices can always come in if they feel it is needed and give feedback in the discussion and correct the decision making. A system without feedback is insane (Cornelis).