September 22-24, 2013 Annual North American IAP2 Conference for public participation

Annual North American IAP2 Conference:

• Take advantage of early registration discounts through March 31
• REGISTER NOW!
• Get involved and be part of the conference organizing team via our Online Volunteer Form.

IAP2USA -- The International Association for Public Participation (USA)

May 30-31, 2013 Ashoka Future Forum gathers today's changemakers

ASHOKA FUTURE FORUM:

• The Ashoka Future Forum will bring together 400 of the foremost social innovators, business entrepreneurs, philanthropists and media to share their biggest problems and celebrate their most thought-provoking solutions.
• If you have a demonstrated passion for making the world a better place, regardless of your field or discipline, and if you hunger for meaningful connections with others who do the same, please join us.  Changemaking is the work of many, and together we are always more powerful than alone.

Ashoka

June 6-8, 2013 American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment National Meeting

2013 American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment National Meeting

• “21st Century Citizens: Building Bridges, Solving Problems”
• Please join us in Denver, Colorado for the American Democracy Project’s (ADP) 11th annual national meeting and The Democracy Commitment’s (TDC) 3rd annual national meeting at the Marriott City Center. The meeting begins on Thursday, June 6 with a series of pre-conference workshops, a late afternoon opening plenary, and a wine and cheese reception; it concludes with a dinner Saturday evening, June 8.
• The 2013 meeting will be an outstanding program with more than 500 attendees, including provosts, other administrators, faculty members, students and community partners. The conference structure includes four plenary sessions, a set of featured speaker presentations, a poster session, a series of concurrent sessions, workshops, and lightning rounds, panels and roundtables with multiple presenters.

AASCU

April 5-7, 2013 National Conference for Media Reform changing the media and building a better democracy

What is the National Conference for Media Reform? | Free Press:

• Picture this: a room packed with thousands of people like you who care about changing the media and building a better democracy. Everyone’s on their feet after three days of amazing trainings, strategy sessions, workshops, debates, keynote speeches, evenings out on the town and parties — yes, parties!
• People leave the conference with books signed by their favorite authors, photos of the people they’ve met, contact info for everyone they’ve swapped stories with, outreach strategies, new skills ... and countless memories gathered while rubbing shoulders with some of the nation’s best and brightest activists, media makers, journalists, policymakers, technologists and artists.

Free Press

July 18-20, 2013 Frontiers of Democracy 2013: Innovations in Civic Practice, Theory, and Education

Frontiers of Democracy 2013: Innovations in Civic Practice, Theory, and Education - Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service:

• Both in the US and around the world we find ourselves in a dramatic period of civic awakening. We know this work and ideas under different names: public engagement, deliberative and participatory democracy, collaborative governance, educating for democracy and civic learning, public work, building social capital, and strengthening democracy. We promote it using diverse means; we think about it in diverse ways.
• With a civic awakening all around us, in US, in the Arab world, in Russia and Burma, in India, Greece, Spain and Hungary, in many countries in Africa and Latin America, it is a good time to rethink what we have been doing and to formulate how it fits into and contributes to this larger effort. At this year’s Frontiers of Democracy conference, we considered a wide picture of work and ideas that support and promote civic vitality.
• Frontiers of Democracy is sponsored by the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University, the Democracy Imperative, and the Deliberative Democracy Consortium.

Tufts Jonathan M Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service

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June 19-22, 2013 ~ 2013 Conference on Volunteering and Service

About the Conference - 2013 Conference on Volunteering and Service:

• Points of Light's annual Conference provides attendees an opportunity to learn, connect and be inspired through a wide range of exciting and informative plenary sessions, workshops, immersion learnings, special events, service projects, exhibits, specialized tracks and more.
• As the world's largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, corporate and government sectors, all are invited to join us in Washington, D.C.

Points of Light

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June 26-July 2, 2013 Aspen Ideas Festival

2013 FESTIVAL OVERVIEW | Aspen Ideas Festival:

• For over 60 years the Aspen Institute has been the nation’s premier gathering place for leaders and individuals across the globe to explore the ideals and ideas that define a good society. It continues to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. Since 1857, The Atlantic has shaped national debate on the defining issues of our times, and now, 150 years later, serves as the leading destination for brave thinking and bold ideas. Both institutions are focused intently on ideas in the world of policy and politics, business and organizations, the arts and creativity, science and discovery, values and culture. Partnering together, we strive to convene a large and global public and foster a “commons” for the 21st century, a gathering for diverse, intellectually curious people to learn, listen, debate, and question what we can do to make our world — and our children’s world — a better place.
• The Ideas Festival is divided into two overlapping four-day sessions in 2013: June 26 – June 29 (Wednesday to Saturday), and June 29 – July 2 (Saturday to Tuesday). Attendees register as pass holders for one session or the other, and are offered a substantial array of lectures, presentations, debates, and panel discussions that span a vast range of such critical topics as economics, policy, environment, science, education, arts, global affairs, and philosophy. Individual tickets are available for any number of programs that are offered in the town of Aspen and at night on the campus of the Aspen Institute. Additionally, talks and presentations as well as corresponding interviews with individual presenters are available at an array of broadcast and online venues during the Festival and thereafter, starting at aspenideas.org and theatlantic.com.

The Aspen Institute

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April 18-19, 2013 Digital Public Library of America Launch

Digital Public Library of America » [April 18-19, 2013] DPLA Launch:

• On April 18-19, 2013, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) will celebrate the groundbreaking work of hundreds of librarians, innovators, and other dedicated volunteers in our collective effort to build the first national digital library. We invite you to join us at the Boston Public Library for this historic event.
• Convened by the DPLA Secretariat at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and co-hosted by the Boston Public Library, the two-day DPLA Launch will include a brief working day on Thursday, April 18th, followed by a formal reception featuring presentations and a series of interactive exhibits showcasing content from our many partners, including the Digital Hubs and Europeana. On Friday, April 19th, the DPLA will convene a focused half-day plenary meeting highlighting the DPLA’s progress and potential.
• We hope that you’ll join us for interactive exhibits, the prototype launch, and more!

Digital Public Library of America

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June 6-7, 2013 Personal Democracy Forum 2013

Personal Democracy Forum 2013 | Personal Democracy Forum:

• Personal Democracy Forum is the world’s leading conference exploring and analyzing technology's impact on politics and government. Hundreds of individuals interested in how technology is changing politics, governance and society will gather for our special tenth year. It's been an incredible decade at the intersection of technology and politics, and yet it feels like we've only begun.

Personal Democracy Media

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April, 2013 ~ The April Days of Action to stop US drone warfare

KNOWDRONES:

• Organizing is now underway for The April Days of Action 2013, a coordinated, national campaign of the Network to Stop Drone Surveillance and Warfare* to generate a public uprising to STOP U.S. DRONE WARFARE.
• We urge you to select one or more of the days in April listed below to organize programs and actions in your community or region to focus on institutions where you live that are the under-pinning of the U.S. military’s drone fleet that is spreading around the world.
• Dramatic Productions
• Graphic Arts
• Video Resources
• Counterrecruitment
• Books

Know Drones

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April 4 to July 3, 2013 Tour de Peace bike ride across the United States

The Action - Tour de Peace: the road less taken:

• Cindy Sheehan and others are in the beginning stages of planning a bike ride from Casey Sheehan's grave in Vacaville, Ca to  WashedUp, DeCeit (Washington, DC) to demand true and positive change.  The ride will begin on the day that Casey was KIA in Iraq (April 04) and end in DeCeit on July 3rd.

• WAY PAST TIME TO ACT: To End Wars, To End immunity for US War Crimes, To End Suppression of our Civil Rights, To End the use of Fossil Fuels, To End Persecution of Whistle blowers, To End Partisan Apathy and Inaction

• We are hoping that MANY riders will join us for all or part of the way, but especially join us for a convergence at Arlington Cemetery on July 3rd, to ride on the  White House to present our demands.
• We are also hoping that activists and groups along the way will sponsor meetings, rallies (with vegetarian potlucks), comfy beds, and support, to help us organize for PEACE, to help us to raise money to help fund the tour AND raise money for good causes to help the devastated people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Please sign the Petition

Tour de Peace

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August 7-11, 2013 ~ 2013 Democracy Convention

THE DEMOCRACY CONVENTION: Nine conferences. One movement. | 2013 Democracy Convention:

If you want to strengthen democracy where it matters most — in our communities, our schools, our workplaces and local economies, military, government, media, constitution — you will find something inspiring in Madison in August, 2013. Democracy is coming . . . to the U.S.A..  

THE DEMOCRACY CONVENTION: Nine conferences. One movement. 

Education  

Representation 

Economic

Earth 

Media 

Constitutional Reform 

Racial Equality 

Democratizing Defense 

Local Democracy

The Democracy Convention

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April 20, 2013 Conference to Restore the Republic reforming government corruption

Details: Conference to Restore the Republic:

• Nearly 90% of Americans agree that we need to take action to stop government corruption. Dear 90% of America: This conference is for you.
• On April 20, 2013 in San Francisco, California, Rootstrikers will convene activists, experts, and citizens of all political stripes to debate some of the most challenging questions about the reform this country needs. Whether you're new to the issue and not sure where to start or still trying to understand the variety of solutions proposed to fight corruption, this event is your opportunity to find clarity and community.
• We welcome all organizations and individuals to join us in this first step towards restoring our republic.
• LOGISTICS
• AGENDA
• PEOPLE
• REGISTER TO ATTEND

RootStrikers

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June 22, 2013 United We Stand Festival reforming the electoral process

United We Stand Festival - Free & Equal:

• We’re not waiting until 2014, or 2016 to expose the two-party duopoly again.
• The time for more voices and more choices is now, not later and we’re kicking things off on June 22nd in Little Rock Arkansas with the United We Stand Festival that will turn up the Twitter, Facebook, Blogosphere volume again!
• “United We Stand” Festival will be the kick-off event for igniting the grassroots movement to break the stranglehold of the two-party duopoly and reform the electoral process throughout the U.S. once and for all.
• Free & Equal is here to UNITE and build honest media, organizations, leaders, musicians, authors, comedians and more across the spectrum to reform the electoral system.
• The two-party system has been intentionally dividing us for centuries, and Free & Equal will help foster collaboration, leadership and true problem-solving.
• We’re going to continue to turn up the volume.  This fall we will launch a 10 city University Bus Tour. Each stop will showcase a panel of experts (authors,musicians, leaders, etc) on various important topics such as the Patriot Act, SOPA, NDAA, the war on drugs, foreign policies, genetically modified organisms and more. This movement will inspire individuals across the spectrum to run for local office in 2014. These candidates will be listed in our National Database which will help these grassroots candidates win their local races. Free & Equal’s ultimate goal here is to build leaders.

Free and Equal

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Show support for the NATO5 and all other targets of state repression

International Week of Solidarity | nato5support:

• May 16–21, 2013
• We are calling on comrades around the world to help raise awareness of the NATO 5 cases and support funds for the defendants on the one-year anniversary of their preemptive arrests. Please read the call-out and start planning your action or event today!
• Many of these prisoners need your financial support and solidarity. The Pacific Northwest Grand Jury resisters are calling for a week of solidarity actions from April 24–May 1 (http://saynothing.noblogs.org/call-for-coordinated-week-of-solidarity-actions/) and the Tinley Park 5 are calling for a day of solidarity on May 19 (http://www.anarchistnews.org/content/one-year-anniversary-arrest-tp5). And don’t forget about June 11th, the International Day of Solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners Eric McDavid and Marie Mason (http://june11.org/).

NATO5Support

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This is Stop CISPA "Week of Action" -- keep long-standing civil liberties and protections

Daily Kos: Stop CISPA "Week of Action" Begins Today: What You Can Do:

• A coalition of Internet advocacy organizations (including the ACLU, DailyKos, and my own, the Government Accountability Project) and individuals are launching a week of action to combat the CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.
• We aim to leverage popular outrage to oppose this dangerously broad bill, which is cloaked as a beneficent-sounding "cybersecurity" law. Legislation that is supposed to enhance our computer and network security must not sacrifice long-standing civil liberties and protections, and this bill is riddled with flaws that threaten our right to privacy.

DailyKos.com

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Privacy laws and bills currently in Congress

The Legislation of Privacy: New Laws That Will Change Your Life - BackgroundCheck.org:

• Even if you don’t realize it, many privacy laws can have a major impact on your life, from how you buy insurance to which bits of personal information are gathered while you shop online, go to the bank, or talk on the phone. What follows is a brief guide to many of the newer and upcoming laws regarding privacy in the United States. You’ll learn what the bills propose, how they’ll affect your life, and when they’ll go into effect, if they haven’t already.
• Digital Life
• Digital Commerce
• Work and Employment
• Personal Information

BackgroundCheck.org

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Occucards are educational outreach cards for activists

Occucards.Com:

• Hello. We are a collective of Occupy activists who came together to produce educational outreach literature for the movement. On this site you can download free, hi-res versions of our 4″x6″ info cards to print yourself, or you can purchase glossy, card-stock versions from us. (The text is on the back of each card.) Our prices are below what we pay to produce the cards, and thus we rely on donations to keep going. Unlike Wall Street, our finances are open and transparent.
• Current Cards: Goldman Sachs Corporate Personhood Health Care The Military Industrial Complex The Monetary System The National Defense Authorization Act Monsanto The Prison Industrial Complex Climate Change Wells Fargo Drone Attacks Student Debt Fracking ALEC Republicrats Walmart Austerity NEW!!! Tar Sands NEW!!!

Occucards.com

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"Activism II," a poem

Activism II
by David Weller


who dares is who cares
about his own interest
through activism of him
who moves the earth
through thick and thin
about government
what it's meant, intents
his heart speaks out
about issue mis-use
overturning doubt
with news, his views
coming together
to forge and renew
change for good
because what matters
has meaning, not feeling

August 21-25, 2013 Occupy National Gathering in Kalamazoo, Michigan

InterOccupy | National Gathering Launch Call:

• WHEN: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
• HOST: National Gathering 2013 working group
• PURPOSE: To plan and prepare a public launch and create infrastructure to the National Gathering this year. We wish to include several grass roots, alternative media’s , rights, advocacy, unions, artists, and more to make this a gathering for all who wish to make a better tomorrow.

Interoccupy

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March 16-23, 2013 Week of Action to Stop Tar Sands Profiteers video invitation

Ethan's testimonial video on why he blockades, presented on his birthday 2-28, and an invitation to join Tar Sands Blockade in the March 16th-23rd Week of Action to Stop Tar Sands Profiteers.

"Why We Blockade" 2-28 YouTube video

For more info:
www.tarsandsblockade.org/weekofaction
www.twitter.com/kxlblockade
www.facebook.com/tarsandsblockade

Finding public records online

5 Great Online Tools for Mining Public Records:

• Thanks to our open records laws, you can find a treasure trove of information on the web—everything from details about publically traded companies to where stimulus funds are going. You can even submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests online.
• FOIA Online
• Recovery.gov
• The Consumer Complaint Database
• SEC's Electronic Data-Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System (EDGAR)
• Ethics.gov

Project on Government Oversight

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Shutting down the US Chamber of Commerce

I received this email message from the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution.  Their activist project wants to shut down the US Chamber of Commerce.  Your financial support is requested; below are excerpts from that email message.

Three years ago, we thought about taking on the Chamber. But we didn’t because we didn’t have the resources. We talked with friends and potential partners. And that’s all we did; talk. 

It turns out that even then, the Chamber was listening. They hired private security firms made up of former military intelligence specialists to spy on our friends, and to spy on us. These firms, HBGary Federal, Palantir, and Berico Technologies (collectively called Team Themis) — developed tactics for damaging progressive groups and labor unions, produced a report that revealed that our executive director, Ben Manski, had met with another pro-democracy activist named Brett Kimberlin. 

Earlier this week we raised nearly $1,000 to help us get the Shut the Chamber campaign going.  We need to raise another $4,000 by Monday so that we can launch the campaign next week. 

Budget cuts are here. The Chamber is to blame. The climate crisis is off Washington’s radar. The Chamber is to blame. Every day counts. Every day that goes by in which the Chamber is unchallenged counts. Please make the most generous contribution you can now. 

STAND WITH US:  Donate to Liberty Tree.

Liberty Tree

Actions you can take to fight gridlock in Washington, DC

Make Congress Work Toolkit | No Labels:

Check out how to help No Labels make America work again by ensuring our Make Congress Work! action plan and the No Budget, No Pay Act get passed in Washington.

No Labels

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June 24-30, 2013 International climate leaders summit

Global Power Shift About:

Global Power Shift (GPS) will begin with an international climate leaders summit of mostly young people in Istanbul, Turkey, June 24-30, 2013. The week-long summit will be a chance for us to refine skills, create personal bonds and community, share a global vision for change, and strategize how to organize different actions and similar summits back home. In the months that follow, in country after country we will organize national or regional summits.

Global Power Shift

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Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24, 2013 Amnesty Intl. USA annual conference

2013 Conference Registration - Amnesty International USA:

Join us at Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, Virginia from March 22-24, for our 2013 annual human rights conference! The theme of this year's human rights conference is Use Your Power and it will be reflected throughout our three-day conference as we focus on how individuals can use their power to inspire change around the world.

Amnesty International USA

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How to get involved in the regulatory process

Regulatory Resource Center | Center for Effective Government:

The Regulatory Resource Center is designed to educate citizens on how they can become involved in the regulatory process and to inform the public about how the process works.

Center for Effective Government

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Donate to help an Avaaz.org operation fight corruption across the world

From Avaaz - The best antidote to corruption:

• Shady business interests, crooked politicians and criminal networks are spreading a massive toxic spill of corruption through our democracies, hijacking key public and private institutions, destroying our environment, and bringing the global economy to its knees. But we can change that if we launch the biggest people-powered clean-up operation ever.
• If just 25,000 of us donate today, we could grow the team and hugely scale up campaigning.

Avaaz.org

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Sign the Keystone XL Pipeline Pledge of Resistance

From Sign the Keystone XL Pledge of Resistance:

"I pledge, if necessary, to join others in my community, and engage in acts of dignified, peaceful civil disobedience that could result in my arrest in order to send the message to President Obama and his administration that they must reject the Keystone XL pipeline."

Credo Action

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March 16-23, 2013 Join the Tar Sands Blockade Week of Action

From Week of Action (March 16-23) » Tar Sands Blockade:

Sign up to host an action/event in your community as part of the Week of Action to Stop Tar Sands Profiteers, March 16-23.

Show up at their offices, public events, and extraction sites to demonstrate that we won’t stop until they do.

Find a TransCanada or investor's office in your community: http://www.tarsandsblockade.org/local_action

Tar Sands Blockade

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"Leadership," a poem

Leadership
by David Weller


You charge for access,
I believe in free speech

Money is corrosive,
To independent thinkers

Money is not free speech,
Free speech is for people

Represent your constituents,
Not the fundraisers

Leadership can be voted in,
Corruption can be voted out

Leadership is independent,
And so the voter be

Today, March 4, 2013 Join a collective day of action to March Forth for climate justice

From MARCH FO[u]RTH ON CLIMATE | We’re calling on divestment campaigns across the country to join us in a collective day of action to MARCH FORTH for climate justice.

This weekend at the PowerUp Student Convergence, we saw the power of the growing youth movement for climate justice. And in order to be a movement, we need to MOVE! We’re calling on divestment campaigns across the country to join us in a collective day of action to MARCH FORTH for climate justice. This March 4th, 2013 let’s come together for a day of direct actions, demonstrations, teach-ins, rallies, dance parties, and whatever other creative actions your group wants to use to propel the movement forward.

March Forth for Climate Justice

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March 10-16, 2013 is Sunshine Week. March 15, 2013 is National Freedom of Information Day.

From Register Now: OpenTheGovernment.org’s Sunshine Week Event on March 15 | OpenTheGovernment.org:

Sunshine Week 2013 will take place March 10th to 16th, throughout Washington, DC, and across the United States. On Friday, March 15th, OpenTheGovernment.org and the First Amendment Center will host a Sunshine Week celebration of National Freedom of Information Day at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

OpenTheGovernment.org

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In May, 2013, 350.org will be hosting a massive day of action and training at venues across the country

From 350 | When you're in a hole, stop digging. Day of Action, May 2013:

350.org

If you’re keen to hit the streets in your community to stop the KXL pipeline, take on the fossil fuel industry, and train to grow our movement, sign up to get planning with us.

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