DemocracySpace.org

Welcome to the book club (5/08)

Update ... click here for the easier-to-read, threaded version of this discussion.

Welcome to this month's water cooler, which is also the spring meeting of the Everyday Democracy Book Club. For the next hour, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern, we'll be discussing The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule Is Giving Way to Shared Governance - and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same with its author, Matt Leighninger.

Matt is the executive director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium as well as a senior associate with Everyday Democracy. His book, published by the Vanderbilt University Press, draws from his years of working with communities to better engage citizens in decision making, problem solving, and the daily work of democracy. As the jacket copy says:

Beneath the national radar, the relationship between citizens and government is undergoing a dramatic shift. More than ever before, citizens are educated, skeptical, and capable of bringing the decision-making process to a sudden halt. Public officials and other leaders are tired of confrontation and desperate for resources. In order to address persistent challenges like education, race relations, crime prevention, land use planning, and economic development, communities have been forced to find new ways for people and public servants to work together.

During the next hour, we'l learn from Matt and each other how innovative public officials and committed activists are forging new ways to run our neighborhoods, cities, counties, and beyond. Here's how the water cooler will work:

I'll ask Matt the first question at 1 p.m. Eastern. To follow the Q&A discussion, click on the word "comments" below this post. If you'd like to pose a question or add a comment, look for the phrase "POST A COMMENT" at the end of the existing comments. Below it, insert your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment in the box, then click “post.”

Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest questions and comments that have been posted and answered. If traffic gets heavy, you may be asked to verify your comment with a "captcha check," or typing in a string of letters.

Also, if you see that several questions have already been asked, please be kind and give Matt a chance to catch up before posting your question.
We'll post a rethreaded, easier-to-read version of this live blog at our wiki within 24 hours. (You can read past water cooler discussions there, too.)

Thank you for joining us for today's meeting of the Everyday Democracy Book Club! And now, let the discussion begin ...

Welcome to the water cooler (4/08)

Update ... click here for the easier-to-read, threaded version of this discussion.

Welcome to the water cooler, DemocracySpace’s series of virtual roundtables with interesting people who are doing citizen engagement work. I’m Julie Fanselow, online organizer for Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center) and your moderator for today’s session. Our topic today is how local activists are working to create greater racial equity in communities across the nation.

Here's how today's live blog will work: We have a series of questions (posted yesterday) that I'll ask starting at 1 p.m. Eastern to guide our discussion. To see them, click on the word "comments" below this post.

To answer the question or make a comment, look for the phrase "POST A COMMENT." Below it, insert your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment in the box, then click “post.” In addition to my questions, feel free to ask a question of your own, or share other information on how your community is working to dismantle racism.

Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest questions and comments that have been posted and answered. If traffic gets heavy, you may be asked to verify your comment with a "captcha check," or typing in a string of letters.

We'll post a rethreaded, easier-to-read version of this live blog at our wiki within 24 hours. (You can read past water cooler discussions there, too.)

We'll blog live here until 2 p.m. Eastern. Thank you for your good work and for taking part in this discussion! And please visit DemocracySpace regularly for more news that will help you engage growing numbers of diverse people to create positive community change. (You can have each day's post - usually just one each weekday - emailed to you via the "subscribe" box in the upper right-hand corner of the blog.)

Welcome to the water cooler (2/08)

Update ... click here for the easier-to-read, threaded version of this discussion.

Welcome to the water cooler, DemocracySpace’s monthly series of virtual roundtables with interesting people who are doing citizen engagement work. I’m Julie Fanselow, online organizer for Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center) and your moderator for today’s session.

Our topic today is how community organizers are using the Internet to tell stories, invite support, and record progress. Here’s how this will work: I have a series of questions (posted yesterday) that I'll ask starting at 1 p.m. Eastern to guide our discussion. Those questions will appear in the comments below this post.

To answer the question or make a comment, click on the word “comments” below. A window will open where you can insert your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment, then click “post.”

In addition to my questions, feel free to ask a question of your own, or share information on how you've used the Internet - your website or blog, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, or whatever - to help your community organizing efforts.

Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest questions and comments that have been posted and answered. We'll post a rethreaded, easier-to-read version of this live blog at our wiki within 24 hours. (You can read past water cooler discussions there, too.)

We'll blog live here until 2 p.m. Eastern. Thank you for your good work and for taking part in this discussion! And please visit DemocracySpace regularly for more news that will help you engage growing numbers of diverse people to create positive community change.

Welcome to the book club

Click here for the easier-to-read, re-threaded version of this event.

(Here's an introduction from Martha McCoy, executive director of the Study Circles Resource Center, soon to be renamed Everyday Democracy...)

"I'm very pleased to welcome my friend and colleague, Frances Moore Lappé, for the first meeting of our Everyday Democracy Book Club here at DemocracySpace.org. I have been fortunate to know Frankie ever since the early days of the Study Circles Resource Center, when she agreed to be on our advisory board. She has been a great supporter of the work of the citizen activists we work with, and many others. She has unflagging energy for making democracy a reality, and for reminding us that we can all work toward that in our everyday lives. And she reminds us that the best of this work is joyful, and adds to the quality of all our lives and our communities.

"I was profoundly influenced by Frankie's work in my early graduate work - I literally happened upon one of her early books in the library stacks, pre-internet days! - and so it feels fitting that we are welcoming her to our first online book club meeting, as we are about to change our name to Everyday Democracy. Frankie, thank you for taking this time in your global travel schedule to be online with us today." 
 

(And now just a few housekeeping notes from blog manager Julie Fanselow ...)

We are indeed pleased and honored to have Frankie join us today. Frances Moore Lappé is the author of sixteen books, including the groundbreaking Diet for a Small Planet. Her recent books - Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life and Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, and Courage in a World Gone Mad - explore how we can (and must!) trade a top-down Thin Democracy that fails to engage citizens for a robust, ever-changing Living Democracy that helps everyday people take control of our civic lives. Welcome, Frankie, and thank you for sharing this hour with us today.

Here’s how our water cooler will work: I will ask Frankie the first question, which you will see in the comments. She will answer in the comments, too.

If you have a question for Frankie, you can ask it in the comments as well. To make a comment or ask a question, click on the word “comments” below. A window will open where you can post your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment, then click “post.”

Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest comments that have been posted and answered.

Also, if you see that several questions have already been asked, please be kind and give Frankie a chance to catch up before posting your question.

Thank you for joining us for the launch of the Everyday Democracy Book Club! And now, let the discussion begin ...

Welcome to the water cooler (12/07)

Update: An easier-to-read archived version of this discussion is now available on our DemocracySpace wiki. Click here to read it.

Welcome to the water cooler, DemocracySpace’s monthly series of virtual roundtables with interesting people who are doing citizen engagement work. I’m Julie Fanselow, online organizer for the Study Circles Resource Center and your moderator for today’s session. A special welcome to those of you who made it here from the Midwest, the Northeast, and anywhere else you are dealing with major snow and/or ice!

Our topic today is how communities work together to address poverty. Here’s how this will work: I have a series of questions (posted yesterday) that I'll ask one at a time starting at 1 p.m. Eastern to guide our discussion.

To answer the question or make a comment, click on the word “comments” below this post. A window will open where you can insert your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment, then click “post.”

In addition to my questions, feel free to ask a question of your own. Maybe you have a very specific issue that someone here can help you address by sharing stories about how they tacked a similar matter. Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest questions and comments that have been posted and answered.

We'll blog live here until 2 p.m. Eastern. Thank you for taking part in this discussion! And please come back next month (1 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, January 17) when we will welcome author Frances Moore Lappé ("Getting a Grip") to launch the Everyday Democracy Book Club.

Welcome to the water cooler (11/07)

Update: An easier-to-read archived version of this session is now available on our DemocracySpace wiki. Click here.

Welcome to the water cooler, DemocracySpace’s monthly series of virtual roundtables with interesting people who are doing citizen engagement work. I’m Julie Fanselow, online organizer for the Study Circles Resource Center and your moderator for today’s session.

Our topic today is youth civic engagement both within schools and in the community. Here’s how this will work: I have a series of questions that I'll ask one at a time starting at 3 p.m. Eastern to guide our discussion.

To answer the question or make a comment, click on the word “comments” below this post. A window will open where you can insert your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment, then click “post.”

In addition to my questions, feel free to ask a question of your own. Maybe you have a very specific issue that someone here can help you address by sharing stories about how they tacked a similar matter. Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest questions and comments that have been posted and answered.

We'll blog live here until 4 p.m. Eastern. Thank you for stopping by for the DemocracySpace water cooler and for taking part in this discussion!

Welcome to the water cooler

Update: A threaded, more easily read version of this discussion is available here.

Welcome to the water cooler, DemocracySpace’s monthly series of virtual roundtables with interesting people who are doing citizen engagement work. I’m Julie Fanselow, online organizer for the Study Circles Resource Center and your moderator for today’s session.

It’s an off-year for national elections, but many local communities are electing leadership this fall. Our topic today is how citizen engagement can change the electoral process by defusing hot-button issues, setting a more inclusive public agenda, and inviting more citizen participation in elections.

Our special guest this month is Jim Noucas, co-chair of Portsmouth Listens, which has been building citizen engagement efforts in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for many years. Portsmouth Listens has helped a wide range of residents have their say on issues ranging from the city’s master plan to environmental sustainability to whether to renovate or rebuild the local middle school.

Here’s how our water cooler will work: I will ask Jim the first question, which you will see in the comments at 1 p.m. Eastern. He will answer in the comments, too.

If you have a question for Jim, you can ask it in the comments as well. Or if you, too, would like to share a story of how study circles or other citizen engagement methods have affected the local political landscape in your community, please feel free to share that in the comments.

To make a comment or ask a question, click on the word “comments” below. A window will open where you can post your name (real names, please); email address (it will not be visible online); and, if you like, the URL of your organization or program’s website. Write your question or comment, then click “post.”

Please note: You will need to refresh your browser periodically to see the latest comments that have been posted and answered.

Thank you for stopping by for the DemocracySpace water cooler. Enjoy the discussion!