Glen Holt, ed of Public Library Quarterly asked me to submit an article based on a book chapter I wrote (Willingham, Taylor. “Literacy Internships: Take a Plunge into the Deep End.” Public Library Internships: Advice from the Field. Ed. Cynthia Mediavilla. Sage Publications, 2006. Chapter 14). He found me when I posted part of the chapter that was NOT published on a discussion list. (Beats me which one!) I’ve managed to parlay that request into a proposal for three articles. (Just like me to make more work for myself, but I think this is a fabulous opportunity.) I’m going to use this space to capture bits of ideas as they come up. I probably should be posting this to my professional blog at Austin-Pacific, but that is on Blogger which is not nearly as user-friendly or familiar to me as this format. Perhaps I’ll transfer these postings once I finish the article so that I can start a conversation with the readers. In the meantime, here’s what I proposed to Glen:
I’d like to take a slightly different angle and push more for library leadership for public engagement, particularly in light of the presidential campaign and the opportunity to engage their communities in the upcoming Citizen’s National Caucus in December. A presidential candidate is calling for national dialogues involving millions of citizens as a government reform platform in a speech this weekend. [NOTE: The candidate is John Edwards and the announcement was made earlier today on C-Span and is part of his One Democracy initiative] There will be dozens of op-ed pieces in major newspapers by non-partisan members of the dialogue and deliberation community early next week – not to support the candidate, but to call on ALL candidates to develop citizen participation platforms – and I would like to call on libraries to take a leadership role.
I see this as possibly the first of three installments. The second would be an expanded version of the role that literacy programs have played in building civic capital. The third would be some key findings from my current fellowship on Civic Entrepreneurship and perhaps co-authored with some researchers England I met last who are doing research on entrepreneurship in the public sector. We are like-minded souls who want to work together and publish together.
So I’m wading through articles I’ve written and collected. I will periodically post thoughts here or on on the Texas Forums blog if they seem appropriate for a wider audience.
October 16, 2007 at 11:05 pm
The Democracy 2.0 Declaration is Here!
On behalf of the 1,581 Democracy 2.0 survey respondents, 47 participants of
the Democracy 2.0 Summit, and those 12 that worked 15 hours to draft a
document we’re proud of, stand behind and will mobilize around, it’s my
pleasure and honor to announce our generation’s Democracy 2.0 Declaration:
Democracy is an unfinished project. It’s time we upgrade.
We, the Millennial Generation, are uniquely positioned to call attention to today’s issues and shape the future based on the great legacy we have inherited. Our founding fathers intended for every generation to build, indeed to innovate, on the American experience. We realize that as young people we are expected to be the leaders of tomorrow, but we understand that as citizens we are called to be the leaders of today.
We are compelled by the critical state of our present democracy to establish a new vision.
In a world often damaged by conflict and intolerance, we must commit to develop common ground through equality and open mindedness.
In a world often damaged by social isolation and materialism, we must commit to community at the family, local, national and global levels.
In a world often damaged by instant gratification, we must commit to creating sustainable solutions.
In a world often damaged by apathy and disillusionment, we must commit to civic participation and inclusion of all voices.
The present state of our democracy impedes opportunity for real change. We must connect the specific issues failing our population with their underlying systemic causes.
Our government seems unable or unwilling to adequately address our broadest problems, including economic inequality, America’s role in the world, and the effect of money on the democratic process. But we must remember, our government is only as effective as the sum of its citizens. Low civic participation means the most disadvantaged people in society are neglected and we overlook many potential solutions to our problems.
Our generation is telling a different story. We are uniquely positioned to foster community engagement through social networks of all kinds. It is our responsibility to use information and technology to upgrade democracy, transform communication and advance political engagement and civic participation.
We are social networkers, we are multi-taskers, we are communicators and we are opinionated. The informality of our generation breaks down traditional barriers and opens doors for inclusiveness and equality. Most importantly, we are leaders in a society that yearns for leadership.
It’s our democracy, it’s time to act.