Recognizing that common citizens and minority groups are often excluded or ignored in current political processes, this course will explore recent strategies for mobilizing and strengthening the voice of citizens in public decision making. Participants will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and practice of the emerging field of deliberative democracy. Through recent case examples, the course will provide an overview of models and strategies that strengthen the democratic process, such as town meetings, web-based surveys, and visioning exercises. Particular attention will be given to the role of civil society in promoting engagement between the general public and government decision-makers. Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with and critique various dialogue strategies, including several models for improving race relations in the US . An in-depth case study will examine a comprehensive two-year strategy to create a shared vision and action agenda in a region with fragmented government and economic recession. Participants will learn models, specific strategies, and skill sets needed for effective civic engagement.
The 12th annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute, a program of the Center for
Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia,
will be held from May 7 to June 19, 2007. Four 7-day sessions, each with five intensive courses
running concurrently, will be offered for academic credit or as professional training for
practitioners at various experience and skill levels. An interactive approach is used in the
classroom to draw upon the rich experiences of the participants as well as the instructors.
The Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) is a place to share with others your
experiences of hope and to discover the interconnections between hope, conflict transformation,
equitable development, protection of human rights, sustainable management of the environment, and
global security. SPI provides a safe and creative space for exploring the possibilities for
personal , communal and global peace as participants, faculty, staff and invited guests discover
common interests through classroom interaction, luncheon presentations, weekend seminars, special
interest groups and community celebrations.
To learn more about SPI, go to http://www.emu.edu/spi
Mark G. Chupp is Visiting Assistant Professor at the Mandel School of
Applied Social Sciences of Case Western Reserve University, where he teaches community development.
His work over the past 20 years has focused on community building and inter-group conflict
transformation. Mark is an international consultant and trainer in civic engagement, conflict
transformation, and appreciative inquiry. He has worked in Northern Ireland, Egypt, Columbia,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador
as well as many urban neighborhoods in the US.