Legislative Effectiveness Committee
Louisville, KY
July, 2010
Global Horizons, LLC
Growth through entrepreneurial thinking
Frank and Kimberlee Spillers
1413 Chestnut Street
Atlantic, Iowa 50022
712-254-1645
frank@ghorizons.com
http://www.bewuca.com/
Community Politics and Deliberative Dialogue
THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATION IS TO:
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engage a broad group of citizens in a thoughtful discussion on issues of community concern.
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identify common ground about important issues that affect communities, schools, counties and other public agencies.
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provide a discussion tool that can be useful to individual communities.
WHAT IS CIVIC DIALOGUE?
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A chance for elected officials to listen to people talk about an important issue.
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A chance for citizens to talk with each other.
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A chance to talk through the issue, not just talk about the issue.
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A chance to weigh the pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses and areas of strong disagreement.
CIVIC DIALOGUE IS NOT:
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a "public hearing."
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intended to result in writing a clear-cut plan with step-by-step solutions.
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a presentation or lecture.
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a conclusion; it is a starting point.
WHAT DOES A REPORT DO?
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Represent the diverse perspectives that people bring to the issue in a fair and respectful manner.
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Examines what people think should be done about an issue as they consciously recognize the difficulties and trade-offs in all approaches.
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Summarizes any areas of disagreement as well as shared sense of direction.Provides common ground for policy makers.
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