Call for Teams: Conversation on Creative Democracy

Posted by on January 30, 2004

[posted from Comm-Org announcements]

Advance Notice for the 2004 Mary Parker Follett Conversation on Creative Democracy – October 21-24 – Boise, Idaho

This is an advance Call for Participants and Themes for the 2004 Conversation. The “official” Call will be posted on the Follett Foundation web site when facility arrangements have been finalized. You are now invited to think about teams that you would be willing to organize for the 2004 Conversation and to
submit your proposals for circulation in several months.

Purpose

The purpose of the Follett Conversation is to engage people in exploring the question of “Creative Democracy”: How can we fulfill the promise of democracy as a creative experience, one that releases both personal and social potential, from the local to the global level?

Teams will seek to create new ideas and insights, new knowledge, and new initiatives that can make a difference in the world.

Conference Format

Unlike typical conferences, the Follett Conversation is based on dialogue. There are no workshops or individual presentations. Teams self-organize months in advance of the in-person event and prepare for their interaction through online communication, shared readings, and/or the sharing of input papers (the content of the Preparation Phase is to be determined by each team).

At the actual Conversation Event, teams engage in intensive exploration of their area of focus. All attendees eat meals together, and sometimes we may have evening events. On the final morning, teams present their findings or ideas at a Plenary Session.

Tentative Schedule
January: Invite team proposals.
April-May: Announce team proposals, invite participants.
June: Finalize teams; begin Preparation Phase.
October: Conversation event.
December: Publish Conversation Proceedings online.

Team Proposals

Teams can consist of as few as two people, or as many as desired. Those who propose teams do not need to bring their own team. They do need to be willing to help organize those who are attracted to their team idea. They also need to be prepared to attend the Follett Conversation itself.

Proposals for teams should seek to take on some challenge related to the question of “creative democracy,” theoretical or practical, with the intention to produce new ideas and insights, new knowledge, and/or new initiatives. Proposals need to include a brief description of the concept, the rationale for it, some suggestion of what preparatory work would be required of participants, and a guiding or “triggering” question that would guide the inquiry. Proposals should be sent to Matthew Shapiro, Follett Conversation Coordinator, at “mshapiro at follettfoundation.org” by April 15, 2004.

To provide you with some sense of earlier themes, the following are the titles of teams that were proposed and/or organized in 2002 and 2003:

a.. Community-Based Non-Profits as the Vehicles for Follettian/Pragmatic Democracy
b.. Designing a Community Learning System for Creative Democracy
c.. Visualising Post-Hierarchical Leadership
d.. The Perpetuation of Creativity for Creative Democracy
e.. Creative Democracy through Virtual Interaction?
f.. Fostering Democratic Leadership in Emerging and Challenged Democracies
g.. Understanding Community Learning
h.. Addressing Power Dynamics and Inequities in Democratic Dialogue
i.. Metropolitan Democracy through Neighborhood Organization
j.. Developing a Community-Wide Curriculum for Civil Awareness and Reciprocity k.. Empowering Citizens through the Social Planetarium
l.. Envisioning an Iraqi Model of Democracy
m.. No Future Left Behind: Promoting the Participatory Redesign of Public Education
n.. US National Interests and their Impact on Democracy in Pakistan
o.. Globalization and its Role in Reshaping Individual’s Perception of Life

The anticipated registration fee for the 2004 Conversation is $200 per person, which covers facilities and nine meals. A finalized fee, along with hotel rates and recommendations and other details, will be included in the official Call for
Participants and Themes.

Regards,

Matthew Shapiro
Follett Conversation Coordinator