International Civic Engagement

Everyday Democracy Book Club

I received the following announcement in my e-mail inbox:

It's time to announce the spring selection for our Everyday Democracy Book Club. Join us here at Democracy Space (www.democracyspace.org) at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, May 15, as we'll meet with Everyday Democracy senior associate Matt Leighninger to discuss his book The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule Is Giving Way to Shared Governance - and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same. In the book, Matt - who also is executive director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium - tells how communities all across the nation are seeing how officials and citizens can work together to address pressing issues.

This will be a great opportunity to share stories of "shared governance" and learn from other communities (and Matt's considerable expertise). Order the book from your local bookstore or online, and be sure to mark your calendar for May 15. And if you missed our last book club with Frances Moore Lapp?, you can read the transcript here.

Pangea Day - May 10, 2008

I received an e-mail today regarding the following world-wide event:

Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to build a better future.

In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that - to help people see themselves in others — through the power of film.

On May 10, 2008 — Pangea Day — sites in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro will be linked live to produce a program of powerful films, visionary speakers, and uplifting music.

The program will be broadcast live to the world through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.

Of course, movies alone can't change the world. But the people who watch them can. So following May 10, 2008, Pangea Day organizers will facilitate community-building activities around the world by connecting inspired viewers with numerous organizations that are already doing groundbreaking work.

March 8 Webcast - The Balkans and the Leading Role of Greek Foreign Policy

Event: "The Balkans and the Leading Role of Greek Foreign Policy," a presentation by Alexandros Mallias, Greek Ambassador to the U.S.

When: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, 2006.

Where: LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin. The lecture will be webcast live from the LBJ School Web site http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/webcasts.

Background: Alexandros P. Mallias became ambassador of Greece to the United States on October 3, 2005. Ambassador Mallias' diplomatic career spans almost 30 years and has been heavily focused on the Balkans. His appointments include posts in Bulgaria, Romania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania. Since 2000, he has served as the director of the A3 South Eastern Europe (Balkan Affairs Department), and between October 2002 and April 2003, he served as the National Coordinator at the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe. From 2002-2003, Ambassador Mallias also served as chairman of the Coordinating Committee for the Greek EU Presidency's program for the Balkans.

During his presentation at the LBJ School, Ambassador Mallias will discuss Greece's role in stabilizing the region as well as its strong support for Balkan nation memberships in the European Union. The event, which is free and open to the public, is cosponsored by the LBJ School of Public Affairs, the Center for European Studies and the UT Department of Classics.

For additional information, contact Megan Scarborough at 512/471-8954 or megan@mail.utexas.edu.

How City Hall and Faith-Based and Community Organizations Can Invigorate Each Other Around a Citywide Housing Agenda

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and Performance Results, Inc. are hosting this online event, as part of HUD's Unlocking Doors Initiative, to discuss the issues that arise when city halls and faith-based and community organizations collaborate around housing and community development efforts. This online moderated forum scheduled for February 28, 2006, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (EST) will tap the knowledge and experience of key leaders in the field of cross-sector collaboration. The event will feature Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz; Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell; Rev. Jay Height of Indianapolis; Bill Eimicke, former Housing czar of New York State; and Stephen Goldsmith, former Mayor of Indianapolis.  The event also includes a Q&A portion for audience participation.
URL: http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/event.html?id=10752