From: David Stiebel <dstie...@pawnguru.com> A close friend of mind is working on a relevant research project-- connecting people with diverse viewpoints to discuss the election in a civilized, guided way
https://talkabout.stanford.edu/election On Dec 1, 2016 5:24 PM, "Steven Clift" <cl...@e-democracy.org> wrote: > Hey everyone, I've had over a dozen awesome offers to volunteer in > local cities across the US from Jackson, Mississippi to Wichita, > Kansas to Bemidji, Minnesota to Queens, New York. > > I am excited about the opportunity to help these volunteers and bring > in the support needed for us to take on even more cities. Volunteer > now to lead your town: cl...@e-democracy.org (put Facebook Group - > Your City in subject please.) > > Here is my rough plan: > > 1. Set up a form where people can volunteer for their city OR tell > us about an existing city-wide/county-wide Facebook Group where an > online civic public square(*) is already thriving. > > 2. Connect all the volunteers and "coaches" from existing similar > Facebook Groups in a private peer-to-peer support Facebook Group > > 3. Find volunteers who can help raise resources to support the > training and support for these volunteers for at least a year and > ideally fund inclusive outreach resources across many cities > > 4. Draft up a research component with interested researchers so > lesson sharing can be a core outcome of this networked approach > > Next week in DC, I've thrown together a gathering (see below) to > generate input, ideas, and passionate volunteers who can help. I'll be > honest and note that my ability focus on this popular idea will be > extremely limited if it does not catch the eye of possible funders or > donors. But for now I can volunteer an hour a day on number 1 and 2 > until we get at least a few Facebook Groups established. Perhaps > you've been looking for a project where you can help and make a big > difference around the country. If yes, please volunteer to help > co-lead this or to offer a specific role your are good at!!! > > * You'd be surprised what might already be out there for your > community *above* the neighborhood level in terms of civic online > groups. Start searching Facebook Groups > https://www.facebook.com/directory/groups/ for your local city/county > names and you'll find groups that aren't just online garage sale/ > Check out places like Hunting Beach, CA - > https://www.facebook.com/groups/HBcommunityforum/ or Brooklyn Park, MN > https://www.facebook.com/groups/BrooklynCenterFriends/ where > ironically they each have competing local -city-wide- forums with > thousands of members with different approaches. If you don't have a > Facebook Groups where "of course" the mayor and city council members > are members and mix it up from time to time with people in a > citizen-first community life forum, then you are a candidate for a new > Facebook Group. If people with local power only lurk in an existing > online space, then we might be able to work with the leaders of that > space to bring out that crucial participation element to increase the > community agenda-setting and dialogue in the group. > > Thanks, > Steven Clift > > Local-up? Digital Bridges for American Communities Brown Bag > https://www.facebook.com/events/1681899672124715/ > > Tuesday, December 6 at 12 PM - 2 PM EST > Lake Research Partners, 1101 17th St, NW Suite 301, Washington, DC > > Details > Join us for a informal brown bag lunch discussion about online > opportunities to connect Americans local-up across partisan divides > one community at a time. > > This discussion hosted by Steven Clift, a founder of E-Democracy.org > and their local online town hall model since 1994, will delve directly > into how Facebook Groups might be used to launch city-by-city online > public spaces for participation in local community and civic life. > > After the dramatic election was over, a dozen volunteers from Jackson, > Mississippi and Witchita, Kansas to Bemidi, Minnesota and Queens, New > York City stepped forward to answer Steve's call to reconnect people > with digital civility across the partisan divide starting with their > own town. (While neighborhood-level group abound on Facebook, > city-wide spaces connecting people to public issues in local > government are quite rare.) > > This embroynic effort has the opportunity to spread to cities across > the nation as we recruit more passionate digital convenors and work to > train, coach, and support them with peer to networking and possible > research with lessons sharing about what works. First up is support > the first batch of communities and then spread the idea. > > This session will be a opportunity to bring your ideas, networks, and > resources to the table. If you believe that the solutions to America's > political divides start at home and won't be solved easily top-down, > this gathering is for you. > > If you want to volunteer to start one for your city, email: > cl...@e-democracy.org - Put "City Facebook Group - Your City" in the > subject line. (Or if you already have something that fits the bill, > let us know as well so we can tap their lessons too.) FYI - > E-Democracy's model and lessons we will adapt to Facebook Groups: > http://e-democracy.org/if > > > Special thanks to Alan Rosenblatt, Board Member of E-Democracy for > securing our meeting local at Lake Research Partners. > > Two other related gatherings convened by Steven Clift are happening on Dec > 6: > > 9:30 AM - Digitally Networking Democracy Builders Globally? A Conversation > https://www.facebook.com/events/1825880037625153/ > > 5:00 PM - DC OpenGov Civic Tech Facebook Group Happy Hour > https://www.facebook.com/events/1194660773961648/ > > Steven Clift - Executive Director, E-Democracy.org > cl...@e-democracy.org - +1 612 234 7072 > @democracy - http://linkedin.com/in/netclift > http://1radionews.com - My radio app > > > > On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 2:21 AM, Steven Clift <cl...@e-democracy.org> > wrote: > > OK, quite the night. > > > > We talk about how social media has been used as a wedge in this > > campaign to divide our country. Can we use it top-down nationally to > > bring us together across those divides? I say no - the most partisan > > will drive the 80% in the middle away and cause us to stick to our > > filter bubbles. > > > > All across this country via Facebook Groups, NextDoor, and other > > platforms people are organically connecting with their nearest > > neighbors to find lost pets, talk about crime, and swap free stuff. > > And sometimes people have very dynamic discussions online about their > > most local community with -gasp- people who live near them but hold > > very different political views and are not their online "friends." > > > > On social media, these local online groups breakthrough the filter > > bubble and bridge political divides at the sub-partisan level where > > the common interest trumps partisan politics. > > > > The question is this - can we bump this up to the *city-wide* level > > and create online civic spaces that connect people across differences? > > > > Local democratically inspired spaces that are useful, agenda-setting, > > open, inclusive around the nation? And do it via highly accessible and > > popular Facebook Groups? > > > > By inclusive, I mean in many ways ... including local conservatives, > > immigrants, and more ... such that the space reflects the full > > community and not just the most involved community folks. > > > > The ten of thousands of neighborhood Facebook Groups start with a > > spark, an "admin" who creates the group and spreads the word. > > > > Now what about you and your city? Will you step forward for your city > > to convene a Facebook Group for your community? > > > > If yes, let me know: cl...@e-democracy.org > > > > If there are at least ten of you, then we can launch a movement that > > just might spread to hundreds, then thousands of cities. > > > > Thanks, > > Steven Clift > > > > P.S. What I am essentially asking is if you want to help me convert > > E-Democracy's twenty years of succesful but isolated experiences with > > the online townhall - http://e-democracy.org/if - for the > > Facebook-era. Our model ONLY works with a local person willing to > > bring people together so collectively the community can not only raise > > its voice, it creates the digital capacity to listen to and respect > > each other. And not through hands-off "make it easy technology," but > > hands on effective facilitation and passionate community outreach. > > > > Steven Clift - Executive Director, E-Democracy.org > > cl...@e-democracy.org - +1 612 234 7072 > > @democracy - http://linkedin.com/in/netclift > > http://1radionews.com - My radio app >
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