If you live in Colorado, and especially if you have a keen interest in working for greater racial equity and more inclusive government, we invite you to check out Everyday Democracy's national meeting, Making Every Voice Matter.
Most events will take place at the Renaissance Hotel, 3801 Quebec Street in Denver, but there's a program set for 4 to 5:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, June 11) at the Penrose Branch Library in Colorado Springs. Matt Leighninger will be there to talk about his book, The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule Is Giving Way to Shared Governance - and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same. See more info here.
Thursday's first public event, set for 4 to 6 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel, is a free program dedicated to the legacy of John Parr, a longtime national and Colorado civic leader who died late last year. (More below the fold ...)
Join us Thursday as we celebrate the legacy of Parr through a symposium titled "What Have We Learned About Democratic Governance in Colorado?" A panel of civic innovators will talk about how Colorado communities are developing new ways for citizens to take part in deliberation, decision-making, and problem-solving.
The actual conference gets started Friday morning. Racial equity, the heart of Everyday Democracy's work, will be a central theme throughout the conference as more than 150 community leaders from across the country will share their experiences of addressing race and racism, as well as their efforts to work on education, poverty, immigration, and other pressing community issues.
Workshops will include:
"Why Addressing Racism is Key to Making Progress on Other Issues" (10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Friday),
"Making Progress on Democracy and Race: A Two-Way Street" (10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Friday),
"Dismantling Racism: An Essential Element in Creating Community Change" (10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Friday and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday),
and three screenings plus discussions of the documentary Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible (10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday).
Also on tap: a Friday evening Civic Fair featuring networking opportunities, displays, great Colorado food and drink, and some of Denver's finest entertainers offering Taiko drumming, hip-hop stylings, Mexican folkloric dance, Chinese pipa music, Native American magic, traditional storytelling, and more.
For those of you who live in or near Denver, it's not too late to join us at the conference. Onsite registrations will be accepted; the cost is $230 per person (or $195 each for teams of two or more) and $130 for youth and young adults up to age 25. Single-day registrations also are available at $130 for Friday or $100 for Saturday. These prices include meals.
We hope you'll be able to join us in Denver. If not, please plan to follow the action at our blog, DemocracySpace. You can learn more about Everyday Democracy's national work at our website.
DemocracySpace is a nom de blog of Julie Fanselow, writer and online organizer for the nonpartisan, nonprofit Everyday Democracy, which can help your community find ways for all kinds of people to think, talk and work together to solve problems. Fanselow also blogs at Daily Kos under the screen name Red State Rebel.