Thanks to everyone who submitted a post for this month's ebulletin. Please send your news and updates from the deliberative democracy field to the editor

Special thanks to Andrew Selee of the Woodrow Wilson Center for this month's "think piece" on deliberative municipal governance reform in Latin America, available at the features section of d-d.net.

~editor

1 | From the d-d.net 'blog
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Chatting with e-peeps, how universities can help deliberative democracy, a U.K. MP who uses a blog to engage constituents, and the effects of deliberation are all discussed in recent d-d.net blog activity. Visit the d-d.net blog to join the discussions.

2 | Resource: Transformative Power of Dialogue
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In The Transformative Power of Dialogue (Nancy Roberts, ed., 2002), the authors seek to elevate dialogue onto the research agenda by addressing questions such as: How can dialogue inform decision making in a particular problem domain or community of interest when multiple people, groups, and organizations are involved? How can dialogue be utilized to build more vibrant, democratic communities?

To learn more, visit: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/series/rpp

3 | Opportunity to Advance Deliberation as Parks Service Seeks Advice
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The National Parks Service has opened a public comment period on a new Director's Order to institute a consistent policy and approach for civic engagement and public involvement opportunities. According to an announcement from NPS, the new Director's Order "will convey to NPS employees the importance and npriority of two-way communication, consistent with [his] approach to issues and challenges, and that of Secretary Norton and her 4 Cs principle of 'consultation, cooperation, and communication in the service of conservation.'"

The public comment period ends on September 15, 2003. For easy viewing and downloading, the policy is posted at http://www.nps.gov/policy/DOrders/75A.htm. Comments may be faxed to the Director's Office of Policy and Regulations at 202-219-8835, emailed to waso_opr@nps.gov, or mailed to: National Park Service, Office of Policy and Regulations, 1849 C Street, NW Room 7252, Washington, DC, 20240.

4 | Help EPA Build a Public Involvement Database
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Here's an opportunity to share the best resources and training you know about with many more people. The Environmental Protection Agency is developing PIRT -- its new Public Involvement Resources and Training database for release on the Internet. In July, the database went live for employees to test on EPA's Intranet.

EPA's Pat Bonner has arranged for password access and invites Consortium members to participate in testing/critiquing the new database and suggesting items to add to it before PIRT moves to a fully public site later this year. If you would like to accept this invitation and enter the system, please go to: http://38.232.74.112/DEMO/OPEIPub.nsf/PIRTHome?openForm and use the following: Username: PIRT Reviewer Password: PIRT2003.

This is a replicate site that will not be current every day. It will be updated to include new information each Tuesday until the database moves to open access on the Internet. You will be able to track its growth and see items you suggest help expand the usefulness of the database for building government's capacity to con duct involvement and citizens' ability to be involved in decision-making processes. Contact: Pat Bonner at bonner.patricia@epa.gov

5 | New Haven Conducts Second Regional Deliberation
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On June 14, 2003, 193 randomly selected citizens of the New Haven/Naugatuck Valley region gathered to discuss policy issues affecting the communities in the region. The event was co-sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the League of Women Voters of Connecticut. During the process, participants reviewed balanced materials on both issues ahead of time. At the Forum, they were assigned to discuss one of the two topics. At the end of the day, participants were surveyed about their views on both questions.

The Forum was a Deliberative Poll: unlike standard opinion polls, which report on sound-bite opinions, the survey revealed the citizens reflective judgments. These judgments were informed by reading materials and, on one issue, talking with fellow citizens and questioning expert panels representing a range of viewpoints. The results challenge conventional assumptions about what the public would support if given a chance to consider the issues.

For more detailed analysis of the results or for information about the potential for replication in other communities, consult http://www.cfgnh.org, or contact Cynthia Farrar at cynthia.farrar@yale.edu or 203-432-4070; or Ana Arroyo at aarroyo@cfgnh.org or 203-777-2386.

6 | Conference :: The State of Play: Law, Games and Virtual Worlds
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Ever wonder if games can enhance deliberation? Here's an exciting opportunity to find out: The Institute for Information Law & Policy at New York Law School & The Information Society Project at Yale Law School will sponsor "The State of Play" November 13 15, 2003 at the New York Law School in New York City. This interdisciplinary conference "will examine the state of play today in an effort to understand the phenomenon of digital games and the virtual worlds they create and to discuss the complex social, psychological, and legal issues to which they give rise."

Paper submissions welcomed. For more information visit http://www.nyls.edu/content.php?ID=1553 or direct inquiries to Mr.Chun Li at cli@nyls.edu.

7 | Toward Deliberative Online Elections?
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E-Democracy.US, an initiative of E-Democracy.Org, opened their effort to promote awareness of online election information resources and discussions. A directory linking to active online discussions on the Presidential election is in the works, and organizaers invite you submit information about special online events that encourage citizen-to-citizen discussion, which will be added to this directory. Send submissions to http://www.e-democracy.org/us/comments.html.

E-Democracy, the creator of the candidate E-Debate in 1994, is also interested in connecting with partners interested in promoting the e-debate concept early in the Presidential campaign when the Internet still matters. Contact, E-Democracy Chair, Steven Clift at clift@publicus.net for more information.

8 | Houston's Mayoral Hopefuls Get 'Scored'
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In a special edition of the connection moderated by Ernie Manouse on July 22, 2003, HoustonPBS, the League of Women Voters of Houston, the New Patrtiotism Project, and the Downtown Club of Houston kicked off a three-part series to introduce the mayoral candidates to Houston voters. Members of a diverse discussion group were assembled by the League of Women Vo ters to score the mayoral candidates with The Harwood Institute s Barometer for Political Conduct--a hands-on tool to gauge the conduct of political leaders. Fourteen citizens, four men and ten women, took part.

To learn more about the Harwood Institute's "baramoter," visit www.TheHarwoodInstitute.org or call (301) 656-3669.

9 | Online Classroom Resource Highlights Deliberation
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"Deliberative Democracy: Re-Creating Citizen Politics" is a 20 minute video that explains the nature of deliberative democracy, contrasts it to the typical means of citizen participation in politics, and illustrates these points with case studies of two deliberative forums held by the LPA program at The College of New Jersey during the 2001-2002 academic year.

The first forum was a workshop preparing students to ask questions of the candidates during a televised debate for the 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial race. The second forum focused on the inter-linked issues of suburban sprawl and urban redevelopment and involved community members from around Mercer County, New Jersey. The video features running commentary by Harris Sokolof, reknowned youth and deliberation scholar.

You can view the video online in Real Video format by visiting http://publicleaders.tcnj.edu/delib_tape.htm or request a copy by mail at the site.