Post in Seeking input on a cross-community forum idea

May 27 20:31 UTC

This is a really rough idea ...

We've been interested in ways to connect people across our Issues Forum
communities. Our local networks are filled with active citizens working
to improve their local communities. While there are certainly
professionals on our forums who do "community development" or "planning"
or are a professional expert in something, these voices we hear most
tend to come from "just do it" kind of people.

How might we help people on our forums be more effective who don't have
access to professional support networks?

How might we connect "active citizens" from new communities such that
they would also be inspired to create local Issues Forums?

So my rough idea is to propose a simple
"community-builders@forums.e-democracy.org" online group for local
exchange of citizen-based ideas, innovations, and practical experiences
on improving the quality of life in local places.

While professionals tend to sub-divide by practices, my preference is
for a silo breaking space that empowers local community builders with
ideas and suggestions from other people who like them who are making a
difference locally. So whether it is an exchange on traffic calming,
improving recycling, or the many many *similar* local issues that come
up independently on our various forums interested folks would have
access information on multiple topics.

What do folks think of this rough idea?

A few of the questions that I have are:

1. Is there an interested volunteer Forum Manager?
2. How many of our current 3,000+ members might join? 200 would be nice.
3. Is this a fundable idea? (Might demonstrating something help us seek
grants to expand participation and add cross-community knowledge
exchange features.)
4. Would this attract new participants not currently covered by an
Issues Forum an inspire them lead new forum start-ups (funded ones in
particular)? (One of our priorities is to spread awareness to more
places such that local community foundations, local governments, etc.
will fund assisted forum start-ups. Attracting the types of people who
would start local Issues Forums by providing a useful exchange now might
make this more likely.)

Again, I am looking for input on the idea to see if it is worth
proposing to our Board and others.

Cheers,
Steven Clift
Board Chair