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Blog puts town on the map

Eveleth, a community in northeastern Minnesota, is known as the home of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the site of Sen. Paul Wellstone's 2002 plane crash. The mining town has seen tough times lately as its population has dropped from just over 4,000 in 1990 to about 3,600 today. Steady population and economic declines are among the reasons that Eveleth decided to become involved in Horizons, the Northwest Area Foundation's rigorous program - in partnership with Everyday Democracy and the Pew Partnership for Civic Change - aimed at reducing poverty in small rural and reservation communities across the Upper Midwest, Great Plains, and Northwest.

In June 2007, several participants in Eveleth's Horizons program launched a blog as a way to share the information, ideas, and action projects that were bubbling up out of the process. The first post, on June 14, was a reprint of a local newspaper story on the wrap-up of study circles held in Eveleth. Before long, however, the Eveleth Horizons blog was itself turning into a chronicle of happenings in Eveleth - a way to record progress, bring the community together, and provide a valuable service in a town where the traditional weekly newspaper is not available online.

One year later, Eveleth bloggers Stefanie Jarvis, Heather Lindula, and Beth Peterson are going stronger than ever, with nine posts made so far in June. (There were six total in June and July 2007.) The three women are examples of the growing ranks of community bloggers who combine grassroots reporting and leadership skills to be sure the most important local stories are recorded for history. As an example, Eveleth held its community visioning event last November 1. The Eveleth Horizons blog not only promoted the event with several advance posts, but boasted coverage of the actual event the very night it happened.

Also like a good local newspaper, the Eveleth Horizons blog is like a combination scrapbook and bulletin board. Recent posts have featured a bike rodeo (photo at left), a call for election judges, a town clean-up, and a warning against economic stimulus check scams. The blog's left-hand "sidebar" lists "Community Successes," links to local organizations and Horizons partners, "Positive Action Ideas," and shout-outs to local businesses and sponsors that have helped make Horizons and related activities happen. The blog is also packed with photos and it features a colorful calendar (made for free at localendar.com) highlighting local events. In short, in a global 24/7 media culture ruled by breaking news, scandal, and celebrity gossip, the Eveleth Horizons blog is serving as a major source of the news that matters most to the people in Eveleth.

Is it hard to do? Blogger Stefanie Jarvis (who also works, goes to school, and raises two young children) says she has sometimes spent three to four hours a week on the project, but that it's been a good creative outlet. She likes to find new ways to jazz up the blog, such as scrolling text and an "email us" button using code she copied from a MySpace page. It's also cheap: There's no charge for Google's Blogger weblogging tool nor for most of the widgets that are abundantly available on the Internet.

Is it worth it? "Oh absolutely," Stefanie says. "It's one of the best decisions we made early on." Although the blog draws few comments, it has attracted nearly 7,000 visits since the hit counter went up late last summer, and Stefanie says the bloggers frequently get requests that they put a story on the blog. At the town clean-up this spring, about five participants said they read about it on the blog, and people of all ages seem to use it, too.

Is your community interested in creating a blog or using other online tools to document your dialogue-to-change stories? We have a guide to online tools on our wiki, as well as links to the Eveleth blog and several other good community blogs. Let us know when we can add yours! We also can provide coaching to communities in our network that are interested in starting a blog. For help, contact Everyday Democracy online organizer Julie Fanselow.

Program provides skills boost

If you're reading DemocracySpace, you know that "business as usual" no longer applies when it comes to doing the public's business. You may also be the sort of person who'd be interested in Fielding Graduate University's graduate-level certificate program in Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement. The 19-week program will run mid-August 2008 through mid-January 2009, and an informational teleconference on the curriculum will happen at 5 p.m. Eastern next Wednesday, June 4. (To register for that teleconference, contact Nathan Lewin.)

The program - now in its fifth year - is designed and delivered in collaboration with The International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, the Kettering Foundation, and the Public Dialogue Consortium. By focusing on recent innovations and by working with faculty and guest speakers who are pioneers in the field, the program helps professionals achieve mastery in the practice of dialogue and deliberation. Online and telephone coursework will be complemented by two face-to-face workshops, set for October 5-8 in Austin, Texas, and January 10-13 in Santa Barbara, California.

Tuition is $3,490 for students who register by July 15. National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation members get a discounted rate of $3,140 before that date. After July 15, tuition rises to $3,740 (or $3,390 for NCDD members). Click here to read testimonials from past students, and here to register.

When will blogs reflect America?

The Washington Post has a high-profile story today about how the pool of credentialed state bloggers at the Democratic National Convention is apparently nowhere near as diverse as the party itself. Its coverage follows recent stories by the Dallas Morning News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The DNC announced its roster of 55 state blogs earlier this month. The Post's Jose Antonio Vargas writes, "To the frustration of black bloggers, the list appears to be mostly white - during a primary race in which black voters turned out in droves in Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi. And, they add, this pool is for coverage of a convention that might very well see the first African American presidential nominee."

More bloggers will receive credentials to attend the convention, but they will not enjoy some of the perks that the 55 designated state blogs will receive, including better Internet access and seating with their state delegation. Bloggers of color who are questioning the DNC's commitment to diversity include Francis L. Holland, Pam's House Blend, and African American Political Pundit, although some black bloggers note  that they did not apply for the state blog credentials since their interests are more national in scope. Moreover, the state blog corps applicants weren't asked for racial identity information, and since relatively few bloggers offer such information on their sites, the DNC probably had little way of knowing which blogs include people of color.

Nonetheless, bloggers are decrying the selection process. At her blog Anderson at Large, Faye Anderson noted the irony that Democratic National Convention Committee CEO Leah Daughtry - the daughter of a noted black clergyman - was quoted in a news release announcing the 55 bloggers saying, "I'm excited about the roles these bloggers will have in engaging an even broader, more diverse base of people from around the country in conversations not only about the Convention, but about the future of our nation." Anderson replied: "Black bloggers do not share Daughtry’s excitement. They are outraged over the lack of diversity."

It's true that the political blogosphere tends to be dominated by white men; among the biggest blogs, the most notable exceptions are Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, a Latino who oversees the popular progressive blog Daily Kos, and conservative Michelle Malkin, who is of Filipino heritage. But growing numbers of bloggers are people of color; a recent National Newspaper Publishers Association story reported that there are now 900 identified black-owned blogs, up from 75 in September 2007. It's not surprising that bloggers of all races are calling out the Democratic Party's claim to represent America's diversity if that commitment isn't adequately demonstrated in its credentialed convention blogs.

Introducing "webstorming"

You've heard of brainstorming, of course. Here at DemocracySpace, we'd like to start a wave of webstorming - and we need your help.

Do you have a vexing question about organizing large-scale, action-oriented dialogues in your community, or taking them to the next level? Would you like to ask others who've "been there, done that" how to recruit and train facilitators, attract more (and more varied) participants, publicize your programs to a wider range of people, involve elected and appointed officials, or implement action ideas from the beginning? We invite you to post your question here at DemocracySpace, where we can put the collective energy, knowledge, and insights of Everyday Democracy's staff, associates, and colleagues to work on it.

The webstorming sessions will be a variation on the water coolers we've held most months, which - although useful and full of information - require that you be online at a certain time and that you continually refresh your browser to keep up with the discussions. Webstorming sessions will be more relaxed: We'll feature a question in a post here at DemSpace, then ask people to add their ideas and input in the comments for a week or so. That way, people can check in at their convenience and yet still contribute information in a timely and focused way.

So send your burning questions to blog manager Julie Fanselow. Please include your contact information in your email. We look forward to webstorming with you in the very near future!

The Friday digest will return next week. Enjoy your holiday weekend ...

Vermont eyes 100% broadband

Here's a head's up on a cool conference taking place next Thursday (May 29) in Burlington, Vermont. Together with the Snelling Center for Government at the University of Vermont and Champlain College,  Everyday Democracy will sponsor "Fulfilling Our E-state Potential: Building Community in a 'Connected Age.'" The daylong event on the Champlain College campus is billed as a "lively, interactive public symposium on the intersection of community, civic life, and technology in Vermont." Best of all, the event will be live blogged for those of us who can't be there in person.

Vermont has set a goal to have broadband and cellular service available across the entire state by 2010. Next week's conference will explore the implications such blanket coverage will have for public life in Vermont. Some of the questions asked will include:

• How might civic life change in a fully connected state?
• How will we master emerging technologies so they unite us and strengthen communities?
• How will we address issues of privacy, equity, resistance to change, ownership, and cost?
• How will local and state governmental units ensure that all citizens have equal access to information and participation?

The featured speaker will be Lewis M. Feldstein, co-Author (with Robert Putnam) of Better Together: Restoring the American Community. Here's a full agenda. Registration is $45, which includes lunch. Sign up by this Friday, May 23.

Give until it helps

Today is Tax Day in the United States, and millions of us will be making last-minute dashes to the post office to get our returns dispatched to the Internal Revenue Service. Charitable donations are one way that taxpayers can trim their tax bill and support worthy organizations at the same time. So - looking ahead to Tax Day 2009 - here are a few places on the Internet to help you contribute to favorite causes, find new charities, or perhaps raise awareness of your community's own charitable works.

GuideStar.org - Here's a site where donors and others can research non-profits ranging from the smallest community foundations to major international organizations. The site's basic tools are available free to users who want to "verify a nonprofit's legitimacy, learn whether a contribution will be tax deductible, view a nonprofit's recent Forms 990, or find out more about its mission, programs, and finances," the website says. "Select" and "Premium" levels allow users access to more information. Similar information is available at Charity Navigator, the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, and the American Institute of Philanthropy's Charity Watch.

NetworkForGood.org - If you click on "Donate Now" at GuideStar or Charity Navigator, you are taken to the Network for Good site, which gives donors a tool to contribute to one or more charities in one place. As a bonus for taxpayers, Network For Good can store all your charitable donation records in one place for easier return preparation. Network for Good also has a handy list of tips and info for taxpayers.

PledgeBank.com - PledgeBank describes itself as "a site to help people get things done, especially things that require several people." Basically, people use the site to start an online pledge drive, set a target, and promote their efforts on a global scale. For example, one user wrote "I will give away 1/2 of my economic stimulus rebate check but only if 20 others will do the same." So far, 22 people have agreed. Other pledges have collected underwear for kids in Liberia, stocked a library in India, organized a neighborhood clean-up in California, and solicited contributions of $50 for solar panels on the City Hall in Ypsilanti, Michigan. (That last drive, expiring tomorrow, appears to be falling short of its goal but still raised awareness.) 

PledgeBank drives can be cross-posted to Facebook and shared elsewhere on the Internet. It's interesting to think about ways that community activists might use PledgeBank.com to recruit dialogue participants, raise money for an action project, or meet other needs. PledgeBank doesn't take the place of face-to-face networking, but it's another way to get the word out about projects to people in your community and around the world. Click here to read more about what PledgeBank is and how it works. 

Share DemSpace with friends

We've added a new widget to our DemocracySpace posts to help you more easily share them with friends via email, Facebook, MySpace, AOL Instant Messenger, Digg, Technorati, and other tools. If you read a post you like, simply click on the "Share This" icon and choose where you'd like to send the post. Thanks for helping us spread the word about how communities are working to build democracy ... every day.

Remember: You can also receive DemocracySpace's posts each weekday (usually just one per day) in your email box. Use the handy FeedBurner subscription link at the top of the right-hand column.

YouthBuild, MTV team up

It's not every day that low-income youth get their voices heard in the nation's capital, but it's happening this week. Last night, nearly 500 youth held an "Our America" town hall at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington to unveil a "Declaration of Inter-dependence” informed by their life experiences. Today, about 100 of them are on Capitol Hill to advocate for change in six key areas of the declaration: the public school system, family supports, economic development in low-income communities, the justice system, the environment, and the role of young people in society.

Participants in the town hall included young people from 28 states who have had setbacks such as dropping out of high school, being homeless, having a teen pregnancy, or doing time in jail, but who are rising above such difficult challenges. The town hall was sponsored by YouthBuild USA, Think.MTV.com, and dozens of other national organizations with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. MTV News correspondents Sway Calloway and Kim Stolz served as emcees.

“We have gathered in Washington DC to bring attention to the conditions facing young people in low-income communities, and to call upon our elected officials and presidential candidates to join with us in finding solutions,” explained Antonio Ramirez, President of YouthBuild’s National Alumni Association, and a speaker at the event.

“We wrote the Declaration of Inter-Dependence because we believe it is our responsibility as young leaders to think through the important issues facing our communities and our nation, and to make proposals that can lead to changes and improve these conditions," said Verondha Henry, another YouthBuild graduate. “We recognize that there is an interdependence between young people in low-income communities and the future of America. In the Declaration, we voice our views about the public schools, the justice system, the system of family supports, the economy of our local communities, and how to improve these systems to break the cycle of poverty.”

“This is a unique gathering of low-income young people whose voices are too often overlooked and have been absent from policy decisions on issues that directly impact their lives and futures,” said Dorothy Stoneman, president and founder of YouthBuild USA, a national nonprofit in which low-income youth work toward their GEDs or high school diplomas while rebuilding affordable housing for poor people. “Their leadership and commitment demonstrate that young people should be part of the conversation and they should be encouraged to take action to transform America’s most pressing problems."

To keep the momentum going, YouthBuild now has an "Our America" group page on ThinkMTV.com described as a place that's "open to ALL youth who want to amplify their voices and share ideas for tackling poverty in this nation." Elsewhere on the Think.MTV.com site, users can share their views on a wide range of issue-oriented forums, including poverty. Check out the full list here. And while you're on the MTV site, have a look at the Teen Hero Awards page for info on how teens you know can try to win grants for their charities of choice.

Facebook, YouTube, and more

Everyday Democracy is expanding its suite of online tools. Our latest addition is a page on Facebook, the very popular social and interest networking site. If you're on Facebook, please join our new group and tell your friends. Our other online presences include:

Blog - You're soaking in it!

MySpace - Take a little music break and meet some of our friends.

Website - Everyday Democracy's website is a great place to learn about our work, download free discussion guides, and read success stories from communities all over the country.

Wiki - Read the archives of our live blog discussions, connect to bloggers of color and public officials who blog, and more.

YouTube - Where you can get all the info on our $1,000 Making Voice Matter video contest.

Join any or all of these and help us grow our online (and real-world) community and outreach.

Update: As another example of our online outreach, I posted this diary about Everyday Democracy and our work today at Daily Kos, one of the world's top blogs. It drew more than 60 comments, including one from the manager of Pam's House Blend, who directed readers to her blog and an interesting discussion about a person who encountered people in blackface at a Purim party at her synagogue - and how she handled it. This sort of networking benefits all of us, whether we are working for change one-on-one or in community (or both).

Do you have a blog?

Of course you do. You're reading it.

This is just a reminder that DemocracySpace - the official blog of Everyday Democracy - welcomes news  from all communities that are doing dialogue-to-change programs (a.k.a. study circles). We want to hear your success stories, your lessons learned, your action forum reports, and your action team news. Email your stories and photos to blog editor Julie Fanselow. We look forward to what you have to say.

In addition, Everyday Democracy is available to help dialogue-to-change community organizers set up their own community blogs. Let us tell you how easy it is and show you examples of what other communities are blogging about. Just email Julie at the link above to make an appointment for your free walk-through, how-to-blog tour. Or watch for our "Making the Web Work for You" session at the Everyday Democracy national meeting this June.