June 3, 2004 Update for D&D Leaders

[Sandy]

Update from T H A T A W A Y. O R G - Home of the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

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Hi, Folks! I?’d like to bring four things to your attention in this update:

1. The September Project to engage citizens at public libraries on Sept. 11, 2004
2. It's not too late to register for the Northern California D&D Conference on June 11
3. Join us - become a member of NCDD!
4. Headlines of the past month?’s Community Happenings blog entries

Here are the details?…

1. The September Project to engage citizens at public libraries on Sept. 11, 2004

On Saturday, September 11, 2004, people across the country will come together at public places like local libraries to discuss ideas that matter. Through talks, roundtables, and performances, people will share ideas about democracy, citizenship, and patriotism. Libraries are perfect places for such events: they are free, they are open to the public, and they are distributed nationally. There are over 16,000 public libraries in the U.S. and this does not include university, research, K-12, and places of worship libraries. The September Project is a collection of people, groups, and organizations devoted to making this happen annually and internationally.

- Who is participating? -
The list of participating libraries grows weekly. This includes urban and rural libraries, large and small university libraries, K-12 libraries, and libraries that serve hearing and visually impaired. In many cases, libraries are collaborating with academic institutions: universities, colleges, community colleges, and K-12 schools. Many are also working with organizations like the ACLU and League of Women Voters, civic and religious groups, and local firefighters. We are eager to make this event international, and we are discussing ideas with folks from Canada, Spain, and the UK who plan to host similar events on September 11. Events will also take place in other free and public places, including parks and community centers. To view a map of participating hosts, please visit: http://www.com.washington.edu/september/map.asp

- How can you get involved? -
Contact your local public, university, and/or K-12 library to learn what they have planned for September 11. Share the idea with the organizations to which you belong -- professional, civic, cultural, religious/spiritual -- and ask them to collaborate with their local libraries. Volunteer at your local library as a speaker, performer, roundtable participant, and/or event coordinator. Post, forward, and distribute -- locally, nationally, globally -- this message through as many channels as possible. Show up at participating public spaces on Saturday, September 11, 2004. Bring your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

david silver and sarah washburn


The September Project
on the net --> http://www.theseptemberproject.org
on the map --> http://www.com.washington.edu/september/map.asp


2. It's not too late to register for the Northern California D&D Conference on June 11

I'm hoping to see all of you who live in Northern California at the First Annual Northern California Dialogue & Deliberation Conference later this month. This exciting, one-day gathering will bring together Northern California's D&D leaders, facilitators, practitioners and scholars.

The conference will take place in Belmont, CA. Registration is only $50. Find out more at http://www.pcrcweb.org/conference/.


3. Join us - become a member of NCDD!

I hear the following sentence all too often from people who are subscribed to this monthly updates list: "I thought I was already a member of NCDD." These updates go out to over 6,000 people who are involved in dialogue & deliberation work. If you haven't filled out our online join form, you are most likely not yet a member of the Coalition. To see an almost-current list of members, go to http://www.thataway.org/members/current/current.html.

We would very much like to have you as a member, though! Whether you are a dialogue facilitator, a deliberation scholar, an activist working for increased citizen engagement, an artist whose work inspires citizens to talk openly about difficult issues, a student just beginning to explore the potential of these processes, or the director of an organization that fosters dialogue, we encourage you to join the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation.

Go to http://www.thataway.org/join/index.html to get the answers to all of the following questions:

- Who should join the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation?
- What do individuals and organizations gain from joining the Coalition?
- What is required of NCDD members?
- Can Organizations or Individuals From Outside of the U.S. Join the Coalition?
- How do I join NCDD (HINT: fill out the short form at the bottom of that page)?

Joining NCDD is free, but it is not completely free from responsibility. Members are expected to show their commitment to strengthening and uniting the growing dialogue & deliberation community in some tangible way. Members can also benefit from a number of opportunities. Those opportunities are listed at http://www.thataway.org/members/current/opps.html.

4. Headlines of the past month?’s Community Happenings blog entries

Here are the headlines of all of the Happenings blog entries added since my last email update. It's obvious that the Dialogue & Deliberation Community is buzzing with exciting projects and opportunities. As always, keep sending your announcements to me at .

Go to http://www.thataway.org/news/index.html to view the blog, but first check out the titles of the past month?’s entries.

- Community of Practice on Democratic Dialogue Announces Chat with Ximena Zuniga
- Quotas, Fines and Yes-No Votes: An Update on British Columbia's Citizens' Assembly
- Motivate Citizen Participation: New essay by Grace Lee Boggs Available Online
- Peacemaking in the 21st Century: Inner Peace, Outer Action
- PCP Invited to Participate in Conference on Communication about Climate Change
- Call for Proposals to Host CIVICUS World Assembly for 2006, 2007 and 2008
- Walking the Collaboration Talk: Ten Lessons Learned
- Managing Diversity eCoach Book
- Update from Taylor Willingham on Forums in Texas
- Hope in Action: A Conference to Change the World
- New Book by Harry Boyt to be Published in September
- The Splintering of the United States: Enough is Enough!
- New Book on "Civic Revolutionaries"
- Public Agenda Offers Discussion Guide on Same-Sex Marriage
- Contact Summer Institute Offers Four Week-Long Electives
- This Year's Presidential Election Campaign May Include Public Deliberation
- International Day of Open Homes, Listening Hearts Coming Up Fast
- Fall 2004 Peace Studies Program in South Africa
- Update from Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
- Use of E-government Increases 50% from 2002 to 2003
- Theatre for Dialogue Workshop Offered in Lafayette, Indiana this June
- Update on Conversation Cafe Efforts in the U.K.
- Compassionate Listening Project Fosters Jewish-German Reconciliation
- New e-participation Pilot Launch Looking at the Use of Gaming Techniques
- Collaborative "Calling the Question" Project to Launch this Summer
- University of Maryland's OHRP Hosts Second Practical Conference for Diversity Professionals
- Workshop on Appreciative Inquiry in Healthcare to be Offered June 8-10
- Canadian Citizens' Assembly Breaking New Ground
- New Article on Citizen Involvement in Environmental Governance
- "Peaceworker Bootcamp" to be Held this Summer in Canada
- Heartland Institute Offers Telephone Trainings on the Art of Convening
- AmericaSpeaks Returns to Charlotte, NC
- Online Summer School on Conflict Transformation
- Full Graduate Fellowship at Regis University for Student of Dialogue & Deliberation
- 2nd Annual Anti-Bias Ed Conference to be Held in June
- Summer Schedule for Reconciliation Leadership Certificate Program

I hope this message finds all of you in good spirits. Good luck with all that you do!

Warm regards,
Sandy

Sandy Heierbacher
Convenor, The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD)
www.thataway.org
802-254-7341



NCDD connects and informs leaders in the dialogue and deliberation community. Dialogue and deliberation help people bridge gaps, make better decisions, take collective action and become more active citizens. Dialogues are powerful personal experiences that often lead to careful deliberation and collaborative action or policy recommendations.

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