DemocracySpace water cooler debuts

Today, we are holding the first monthly DemocracySpace water cooler, a live blog starting at 1 p.m. Eastern. Our featured guest is Jim Noucas of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who will talk about how study circles have been used to create a more inclusive and responsive local government in his community.

DemocracySpace, which launched last month, is a project of the nonpartisan Study Circles Resource Center, soon to be renamed Everyday Democracy. SCRC has helped hundreds of communities nationwide develop an ability to organize large-scale and diverse participation in dialogue structured to support and strengthen measurable community change on a variety of issues including racism, immigration, education, and urban planning.

(More on Jim below the flip ...)

Jim Noucas is co-chair of Portsmouth Listens, the longtime citizen engagement project in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Jim will answer questions about how study circles helped Portsmouth resolve a hot local school siting issue before it threatened to dominate the upcoming elections; how study circles have made sustainability a key concept for all would-be Portsmouth officials; and how Portsmouth is using citizen engagement ideals to turn Portsmouth candidate forums into lively, interactive events.

We'll also hear from other communities (maybe yours?) where study circles have influenced the local electoral landscape, and we'll ponder whether and how increased citizen involvement could make state and national elections more democratic, too.

We'll be live at DemocracySpace for an hour starting at 1 p.m. Eastern/noon Central/11 a.m. Mountain/10 a.m. Pacific. Please join us if you can!

•  Any tips for small-d democracy?

  Real change begins at home.

  by Red State Rebel on Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 08:20:27 AM PDT