Advocacy training:
The civil person is someone who cares for his or her community and who looks at others with a benevolent disposition rooted in the belief that their claim to well being and happiness is as valid as his or her own. More Americans are discerning with increasing clarity the connections between civility and ethics, civility and health, and civility and quality of life. In fact a consensus is developing around the notion that a vigorous civility is necessary for the survival of society as we know it. Blog
“[Localize This! Artful Action Camp] is designed to give concerned citizens an expanded tool kit for engaging in their democracy,” organizer Moyer said. In addition to teaching general nonviolent action tactics, the camp will focus on using art as a tool for change, offering workshops on creating banners, T-shirts and large puppets. Attendees will also learn kayaking and rappelling skills and how to incorporate those activities into their actions. Blog
Building strong communities is not easy. Even so, my 32-year background in community building has taught me some simple rules of engagement that still hold true today. Blog
Two very different authors advocate adding branches to the traditional troika (legislative, executive, and judicial).* In general, a "branch" is a part of government with distinctive guiding principles and forms and functions appropriate to those principles. It has autonomous powers, checked by other branches. These checks are not only designed to prevent tyranny but also to promote various kinds of inter-branch collaboration for the public good. Blog
The U.S. Public Service Academy will be the civilian counterpart to the military service academies, a flagship institution designed to build a “more perfect union” by developing leaders of skill and character dedicated to service in the public sector. Blog
Citizens around the world are using digital technologies to push for social and political change. Yet, while stories have been published, discussed, extolled, and derided, the underlying mechanics of digital activism are little understood. This new field, its dynamics, practices, misconceptions, and possible futures are presented together for the first time in Digital Activism Decoded. Blog
A new book by a University of Illinois at Chicago communication scholar examines how democracies are evolving in the Internet era. "A Private Sphere: Democracy in a Digital Age" by Zizi Papacharissi, UIC professor and head of communication, explores how online media has influenced political culture, redefined contemporary society's understanding of public and private, and shaped civic engagement. Blog
"Citizens have been trained to think that a politician asking for feedback is taking a poll - not honestly asking for help or collaboration." Can we help Walter Neary, an elected official who gets it, succeed in the face of constituent skepticism? How long can we expect those elected officials truly interested in engagement to hang themselves out there online in a less than accepted collaborative stance? Blog
