February 2003

Hello, and welcome to the February issue of the National Civic League's email newsletter. This monthly communication will provide information on the activities and accomplishments of NCL and links to information on a variety of topics relating to NCL's mission.

The National Civic League is a 108-year-old non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing, research, and the All-America City Award. The National Civic League is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, call 303-571-4343 or visit www.ncl.org.

This newsletter is by subscription only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription on our website or because you are an NCL member. If you would like to unsubscribe, look for instructions at the end of this newsletter.

1. Upcoming Event: Inclusiveness and the Democracy Movement
2. Denver Mayoral Candidate Forum
   
3. ANR: Things You Can Do For Your Community
4. Civic Index Feature: Safe Spaces for Developing Shared Solutions

On May 8th, 2003, the National Civic League is hosting a conference titled, "Inclusiveness and the Democracy Movement: A Focus on Electoral Reform," in the Learning Center at the AARP building on 601 E Street, NW, Washington DC.

The conference will convene forty to fifty people from universities, foundations, and nonprofit organizations who are active in the social justice and political reform movements. Participants will engage in a daylong dialogue to identify and develop common interests between the two movements on strategies for pursuing electoral reform.

Free and fair elections ensure the legitimacy of the exercise of political power and provide representation for the diverse perspectives that make up a vibrant democracy. We think a conference focusing on the importance of electoral reform will make a valuable contribution to the process of creating a more responsive and democratic political system.

The day will be divided into two sessions. The morning session will focus on the history of the two movements and consider their goals and purposes. The afternoon session will focus on how well the electoral process is working from the perspectives of the two movements and develop common interests and strategies for reform. A brief reception will conclude the day's events.

If you are interested in the conference, or would like more information, please contact Camilla Modesitt at the National Civic League at (303) 571-4343.

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DENVER - February 28, 2003 - Denver Student Voices, a civic education initiative of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and administered locally by the National Civic League, will host a Denver Mayoral Candidate Forum on Tuesday, March 4, 2003, at the University of Denver's Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Former Denver Bronco, Reggie Rivers, will moderate the Student Voices mayoral candidate forum where approximately 1,500 Denver Public High School students will gather to meet with the Denver mayoral candidates and discuss what the youth of Denver identify as the most important issues within the community. Eight official mayoral candidates have confirmed their attendance: Susan Casey, John Hickenlooper, Don Mares, Phil Perington, Elizabeth Schlosser, Jeremy Stefanek, Penfield Tate, and Ari Zavaras.

Sixteen students representing one of the twelve DPS high schools involved in Denver Student Voices will ask questions of the candidates followed by a ten-minute facilitated discussion moderated by Reggie Rivers.

The Denver Student Voices Project encourages active civic and political engagement of Denver Public High School students with the 2003 Denver mayoral candidates, schools, the press, and their neighborhoods. The Project works with twelve DPS high schools to implement a yearlong curriculum focusing on the study of the issues and candidates in their city's mayoral campaign, as well as the study of the political process. The ultimate objective is to improve voter turnout and the competence of individuals participating in the public sphere.

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The Alliance for National Renewal is an intentional community of civic leaders and community builders who collaborate to learn and tell their stories to inspire creative problem solving, imitation, and innovation in pursuit of democratic revitalization and the renewal of civic life. The following ideas are an excerpt from their poster "100 Things You Can Do For Your Community In A New Century".

Things You Can Do For Your Community With Your Neighbors

1. Start a neighborhood community garden.
2. Organize a Girl Scout or Boy Scout Troop in your community. Get parents to share in the leadership responsibility.
3. Complete a "Partnership for a Walkable America ñ Walkable Community Checklist" to help recognize the shortcomings in your pedestrian environment and to think of solutions. Contact USDOT/NHTSA, Office of Communication and Outreach for more information (202-493-2062).
4. Turn an abandoned building in your neighborhood into a historical or cultural center.
5. Do a self-guided tour through the National Civic Leagueís Civic Index, a publication that explores the different components to a healthy community, and see where your community stands. For copies of the Civic Index contact the National Civic League (303-571-4343 or Info@ncl.org).
6. Organize a cultural festival to recognize the diversity in your community.
7. Create an oral history of your communityís social life by recording conversations with senior citizens about their memories of life and times as they grew-up. Then present the completed work to the community library and schools to be used as reference material.
8. Reinstall benches in downtown areas and public spaces so people can gather. Contact the Project for Public Spaces for more ideas on how to plan public space (212-620-5660 or http://www.pps.org).
9. Help create local business and home ownership. For information about starting a rotating community loan fund, and other alternatives to traditional banking that might neglect poorer communities, check out New Hampshire Community Loan Fundís web site.
10. Throw a block party!

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Safe Spaces for Developing Shared Solutions

One of the realities of today's problem solving environment is that governments can no longer be held solely responsible for the health and quality of life of their communities. The issues facing America's cities, counties and sub-state regions today are too highly complex.

Successful communities, consequently, will be those that focus on governance rather than government. That is, ways in which business, government, community groups and citizens can work together to help a community reach its collective goals and meet its common challenges.

For these players to willingly take a seat at the table with each other, and then stay there, a collaborative approach to community problem solving must be adopted. Collaboration is a process that brings together organizations, agencies and individuals in a sustained effort to work together to define problems, create options, develop strategies, and implement chosen solutions.

Effective collaboration requires that decisions be made by consensus. While a consensus-based decision-making process may take some time in the early stages, it will save time in the implementation stage. This is because citizens want their ideas and opinions to be heard and to be seriously considered. The "ownership" of the plan by the community - and the willingness to assist in its implementation - correspond directly to the level of participation in the development of the plan.

Read more of this article by NCL's Derek Okubo...

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