The Center for Voter Deliberation of Northern Virginia

Join a forum in Washington on the National Debt

You are invited to a National Issues Forum, A Nation in Debt: How Can We Pay the Bills?

• Monday, December 5, 2011
• Lunch at 12:00 pm Forum 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
• Discussion 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
• At the Hall of States, 444 North Capital Street, NW, Washington DC

We need you to lend your voice on this difficult issue.

Join a conversation that is nonpartisan and focused on the serious choices we have to make as a nation. What do you think should be done about our debt?

This forum is sponsored by the National Issues Forums Institute and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Join the forum by completing the form below.

Learn more about the plan for our forum by reading a summary of the issue guide materials at the National Issues Forum Institute. 

Or, take a look below at a three minute introductory video on the national debt.

We hope to see you soon.

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Where are you located?

Join a National Issues Forum on the National Debt -- in the Virtual World of Second Life

Thanks to everyone who expressed interest in our continuing online discussion of economic security in the virtual world of Second Life.  Now we turn to the national debt.

The next forum will be Saturday November 5, from 2:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) to 4:00 pm.  Our location in SL will be Morill4/31/163/2, a lovely (and underwater) virtual meeting room  belonging to our hosts, the National eXtension Initiative. 

Join the forum by completing the form below.  If you are new to Second Life, we will help familiarize you.  We promise an interesting discussion with people from around the United States and the world.

Learn more about the plan for our forum by reading a summary of the issue guide materials at the National Issues Forum Institute. 

Or, take a look below at a three minute introductory video on the national debt.

We hope to see you soon in Second Life.  (Interested in othe free events in Second Life?  Take a look at these from the National eXtension Initiative: NeVC virtual conference and the Virtual State Fair event).

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We hope to use Skype for improved audio. What is your Skype User Name? (Write NONE if you don't have one.)

Financial regulation - not tough enough yet

A small group from across the nation (and across the Pacific) met on Wednesday evening, July 27, in the virtual world of Second Life for a National Issues Forum on economic security in America.

After the forum, several people completed a brief online survey. Those responses reflected one matter of strong consensus: That it is very important for financial institutions that make risky investments be more strictly regulated.

Also, some respondents said the forum either changed their thinking in some way, or gave them new ideas for action.

-- "[Citizens in my community could] develop local businesses, shop locally, and bank with credit unions instead of [using larger, non-local firms]....[However,] unless there are major chages in the political climate and the policies that continue to increase income disparity, I don't think small individual actions will be enough."

-- "...Now I have an appreciation for the complexity of 'economic security' and of the U.S./global political situation, our 'democratic' institutions and more broadly how power is distorting communication and decision making."

-- "I'm more frustrated now....[Citizens in my community could] organize and cooperate more."

Thank you again to those who joined us. We hope to gather again this Fall in Second Life...please keep an eye out for the announcement.

Wed July 27: The next in our continuing forums on economic security in the virtual world of Second Life

Thanks to everyone who expressed interest in our continuing online discussion of economic security in the virtual world of Second Life.

The next will be Wednesday July 27, from 7:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) to 9:00 pm.

Join the forum by completing the form below.

We hope to meet you then.

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Register here for a continuing forum on economic security -- in the virtual world of Second Life

You are invited to join a continuing National Issues Forum in the virtual world of Second Life on Saturday April 30 at 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). The topic is economic security in America.

Name:
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Participants in our first forum, two months ago, focused on how best to take charge of the future so families can feel reasonably secure, parents can help their children prosper, and everyone can move toward a financially stable retirement.

We had a small and like-minded group, one that was more concerned about the actions of government than individuals in failing to prevent the nation's recent recession and in needing to take further steps to remedy it.

"I hadn't realized before how fundamental is a properly functioning financial system....Because of the distortions in the financial system supported by government, the financial system is not doing its traditional job of supporting innovation throughout the entire economy."

"I wasn't thinking about how the current economic crisis is an opportunity to question the fundamental design principles of our economy such as whether we even want to return to the same kind of economy we had in 2008. It would be useful to think about how to rebuild in a better way than we had before."

We hope to broaden the discussion on April 30, and to add your point of view.

Rethinking the fundamentals of our economy

On Saturday February 19 the Center for Voter Deliberation of Northern Virginia (CVDNVA) and PublicDecisions cohosted a deliberation in Second Life about economic security in America.

We focused on the key question: How can we best take charge of the future so families can feel reasonably secure, parents can help their children prosper, and everyone can move toward a financially stable retirement?

We had a small and like-minded group in the forum, one that was more concerned about the actions of government than individuals in failing to prevent the nation's recent recession and in needing to take further steps to remedy it. Here are two comments after the forum from participants.

"I hadn't realized before how fundamental is a properly functioning financial system....Because of the distortions in the financial system supported by government, the financial system is not doing its traditional job of supporting innovation throughout the entire economy."

"I wasn't thinking about how the current economic crisis is an opportunity to question the fundamental design principles of our economy such as whether we even want to return to the same kind of economy we had in 2008. It would be useful to think about how to rebuild in a better way than we had before."

Special thanks to Thynka Little and Cooperative eXtension in Second Life for hosting us. The home base of Cooperative Extension in Second Life is the Virtual State Fair, where you can enjoy a combination of recreational and educational content developed by Thynka Little and her creative partners in the Extension system. For more information, go to www.ThynkaLittle.com.

Many thanks too, to Kathy Eisenmann/University of Wisconsin, Craig Paterson/Deliberative IDEAS, Janice Thompson/INVOLVE (our photographer) and Peg Schears for their assistance with making the day possible.

We'll be convening our next virtual deliberation in April on a topic to be decided soon.  Complete the form below to receive an invitation by email.

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Join a nationwide online discussion of economic security: Sat 2/19 at 2pm (Eastern time)

Join a forum in the virtual world of Second Life on Saturday February 19 at 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) about economic security in America.

As the nation slowly recovers from its worst recession in decades, it is a good time to ask, How can we best take charge of the future so families can feel reasonably secure, parents can help their children prosper, and everyone can move toward a financially stable retirement?

Many thanks to Thynka Little and Cooperative eXtension in Second Life for hosting us.  The home base of Cooperative Extension in Second Life is the Virtual State Fair, where you can enjoy a combination of recreational and educational content developed by Thynka Little and her creative partners in the Extension system.  For more information, go to www.ThynkaLittle.com.

Here's an introduction to what we will talk about in Second Life on February 19.

 

To register and get information on how to join Second Life (it's free), please complete this form and click the Submit button below. If you need help with joining and using Second Life, we will be in touch soon to help you out. Thanks!

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City of Manassas Wins State Award for 1 By Youth Effort

The City of Manassas has won “State Neighborhood Youth Effort of the Year” for the national pilot 1 By Youth project that took place on April 24, 2010 in the Georgetown South neighborhood.

Christen Zenich, City of Manassas Neighborhood Coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of a community partnership at the 11th Annual Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference in Roanoke, Virginia on September 25.

The partnership included Colorado-based Group Cares, Mike Garcia Construction, Habitat for Humanity of Prince William County, the Boys & Girls Club, Manassas Assembly of God and Unity in the Community.  More than 1,000 teen and adult volunteers from three states participated in the massive one day, one community, one impact neighborhood revitalization project.  Nearly 60 Manassas area sponsors contributed to the project including Lowe’s, 84 Lumber, Summit Construction, Sherwin-Williams, Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn, E.E. Wine, TruGreen LandCare, Virginia Contractors Supply, Vulcan Materials-Manassas Quarry, J.E. Rice True Value Hardware and Walgreens.

Volunteers painted fences, built soft-fill pathways and re-mulched playgrounds in the 45-year-old neighborhood of 860 townhomes, one of several walkable communities that surround historic Old Town Manassas.   

Georgetown South has continued to engage residents by training Neighborhood Watch members, strengthening alternatives for youth and working with volunteers to paint front fences and rebuild the L Green playground.  On Nov. 6 the community plans to cut the ribbon on a new outdoor pavilion on the H Green, thanks to generous donations from Mike Garcia Construction, Summit Construction, 84 Lumber and Lazlo Concrete.

“Without 1 By Youth Manassas, I have no doubt these results would not have been possible,” said Christie Strader, Community Manager, Georgetown South Community Council, Inc.  “The intense preparation for that day and the community meetings that V.O.I.C.E. [Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement] facilitated to bring residents out in support of the revitalization took us all from zero to 60 mph in terms of networking, making connections and going beyond cosmetic changes to build community and set new standards.”

The City of Manassas has already begun to work with Group Cares to bring 1 By Youth back again next year.  The Point of Woods 1 & 2, and Point of Woods 3 neighborhoods have been selected as the site of 1 By Youth 2011 on May 14, 2011.  Sponsors and volunteers are welcome.  Contact Christen Zenich at 703-257-8315.

The 1 By Youth Award is the tenth award the City of Manassas Neighborhood Services Department has garnered in the past three years at the state and national level.

The Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference, provides an opportunity for people from all locations, socio-economic levels, and sectors across the Commonwealth to learn best practices for addressing neighborhood issues of the times, attend workshops, network with one another, and share experiences and information toward building stronger communities. To learn more, visit www.vsnc.org.

The City will hold its own local neighborhood conference on Nov. 13 at the Boys & Girls Club.  Registration is open through Nov. 10 at www.manassascity.org/neighconf.

Photographs are courtesy of Randy Donaldson, Lynn Grizzard and Meghan Oakes.

Attend a National Issues Forum in Northern Virginia in 2010-11

Do you want to learn about national issues and ways you can make a difference?  The new 2010-11 National Issues Forums of Northern Virginia are moderated small group discussions that take place in public library and other meeting areas in Arlington and Fairfax counties, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church and the Town of Vienna.  The forums offer a safe public space in which to engage your neighbors from all points of view on the choices, actions and trade-offs at the heart of political debate. 

Forums are free and nonpartisan and rely on issue guides prepared by the National Issues Forum Institute.  NIFI has championed civic engagement nationwide since 1981.  NIF of Northern Virginia can convene and moderate forums on any of the subjects covered by an NIFI issue guide.  A few examples of those guides are shown on this page; click on them to learn more.

To be invited to forums, please complete the form below.  Be sure to click on "submit" at the bottom.

We look forward to seeing you soon at an NIFNVA forum.

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Where do you live and what issues would you like to discuss?

Get your own free form like this one.

A Deliberative Meeting Place

Here's our SecondLife colleague Giarc Glenwalker, who in real life is Craig Paterson of the California NIF Network, reporting out on the Second Life forum that paralleled the nationwide AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy deliberations on Saturday June 26.