Many thanks always to those who contributed to this edition of the eBulletin. Please note several new updates to d-d.net:

• Background information on emerging projects

• The latest updates on DDC researcher-practitioner collaboration

• A growing list of links and resources

Do you have a topic for discussion? Please consider submitting a 2,000 word "think piece" to d-d.net (drop a line to the d-d.net editor. Also, be sure to visit the d-d.net blog and join a discussion around the international movement to deepen democracy.

Finally, be sure to take advantage of Sage Publishers' "free access" to their publications online through October 31. Sage offers an extensive collection of publications in the fields of social science, public administration, and management and many articles concerning deliberation and democratic governance.

eBulletin archives can be viewed online at d-d.net.

~editor

1 | NEW REPORT: eRulemaking Online
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A recent report published by Stuart Schulman, assistant professor of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, finds that groups that send out tens or hundreds of thousands of similar e-mails seeking to influence government regulations may be inadvertently petitioning themselves into obscurity. As a part of his work leading the eRulemaking Research Group, Shulman has published a report about the impact of modern information technology and the Internet on the federal rulemaking process. The report examines such questions as: What s the proper role of public discussion in rulemaking? How do these technologies both create new opportunities and liabilities for people who want to engage in the process? For a copy of the report, titled The Internet Still Might (but Probably Won t) Change Everything: Stakeholder Views on the Future of Electronic Rulemaking, visit the eRulemaking Research Group at the University of Pittsburgh.

2 | CONFERENCE: The Future of Democracy in Europe
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November 17-19, 2004 the Council of Europe will host, "The Future of Democacy in Europe" in Barcelona, Spain. Over the past three years, the Council of Europe has been running a major project on Making democratic institutions work . The project s aim has been to consolidate common European standards and identify reforms which could enable member States to (re-)build democratic institutions so as to make them more representative, transparent and accessible to all.

The conference will analyze the Council s understanding of democracy and the way in which its various institutions support it, and analyze the democratic challenges and opportunities embedded in the present European context.

The conference will accommodate the needs and expectations of both scholars and practitioners of politics. It is expected that the conference will be attended by high-level politicians at Parliamentary and local levels, senior civil servants, prominent academics, civil society representatives, and ordinary citizens. An invitation to participate is extended to everybody interested, subject to room capacity (maximum 300 participants).

For more information, visit the Council of Europe or contact Michael Remmert

3 | CONFERENCE: National Conference on Citizenship
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The Annual Conference of the National Conference on Citizenship will be held Friday, December 3, 2004 at t he Reagan Building and International Trade Center. This year's conference will feature the top leaders in the field, who will focus on US efforts to strengthen citizenship: through civics education, volunteering, voting, civic association and the other activities that create more active, engaged citizens. Speakers include: David McCullough, who will talk about "What It Means to Be A Citizen in America"; Robert Putnam speaking on "Bowling Alone, Better Together";a panel discussion on "Fostering Citizenship in Communities: Nonprofits, youth volunteerism and faith-based" featuring John DiIulio; and William Galston talking about "Fostering Citizenship in Schools."

The conference is free and open to the public but participants must register. Register online or contact Laura Feldman, conference coordinator.

4 | CONFERENCE: National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation
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The second National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation is only days away! The conference will take place October 23rd through 25th, at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. The conference will be followed by a day of post-conference trainings on the 26th.

NCDD s conferences provide leaders and future leaders in the dialogue & deliberation community a venue in which to share resources and strategies, solve problems together, build relationships and initiate collaborative projects. Practitioners, scholars, trainers, artists, activists and students will enjoy a one-of-a-kind gathering, with ample time for networking, skill-building, hearing from some of the key leaders in the field (including Jim Fishkin, Glenna Gerard, Martha McCoy, Harold Saunders and Bill Ury), and (of course!) engaging in dialogue and deliberation.

For more information, visit NCDD online.

5 | POSITION OPENING: National Conference on Citizenship
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The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) in the U.S. Department of Education, through its Comprehensive Program, has awarded a $450,541 grant to the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Center for Civic Life for Democracy Lab: A Web Strategy for Transforming Learning and Engaging Citizens. Fifty-three percent of total project costs of $849,705 are funded by FIPSE with the reminder funded by non-Federal sources.

CCLD's success in obtaining the FIPSE grant puts Democracy Lab on a firm footing for three years and will enable the hire of a project manager. CCLD anticipates rapid development and expansion with exciting opportunities for course-based teaching and learning, co-curricular student civic leadership, faculty professional development and scholarly research opportunities in several areas.

For a full Project Manager position description and Partnership RFP, please visit CCLD online at www.teachingdemocracy.org.

6 | POSITION OPENING: Dialogue by Design
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Dialogue by Design seeks a Dialogue Project Manager to join its Team. Dialogue by Design is a small but growing company working at the leading edge of consultation and citizen engagement processes using both the Internet and face-to-face techniques. Their work centres engagement processes around environmental issues sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and local participation and democracy.

Dialogue by Design works in Public and private sectors and over the past two years has run projects for, among others, The Environment Agency, The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the DTI, Small Business Service, Surrey County Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London Waste Action, The British Wind Energy Association, The Energy Savings Trust and the Metropolitan Police.

For more information or send your cv and letter of app lication, contact Pippa on 020 8683 6602. Closing date is November 1, 2004

7 | PRESENTATION: An Essential Public Policy Ingredient
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Judy Watling, Assistant Director of CPRN s Public Involvement Network, is the lead author of the final report on the Citizens Dialogue on the management of used nuclear fuel. In a recent presentation to the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of China s National People s Congress she draws together many of the lessons from CPRN s dialogue experience.

Watling reviews the definition of engagement, its benefits, the principles of its practice, its application, and its political implications, as well as the challenges facing its wider use. She draws on the results of recent CPRN citizens dialogues to illustrate her arguments. A major message, common to them all: citizens are keen to participate, have much to contribute in resolving important policy questions, and want to see engagement become customary to their governments practice.

To download a copy of the presentation, visit CPRN online.

8 | Electronic Rulemaking Update
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The USEPA's eRulemaking Initiative Program Management Office is building and maintaining dialogue with all regulatory stakeholders so that the new federal-wide electronic docket system will meet the needs of agency and public users alike. The first version of the system will be ready for agency beta-testing late 2004/early 2005, and new versions of the system will be released in phases throughout 2005. Please join in the discussions to shape the rulemaking process going forward:

eRulemaking Online Discussion Forum: Harvard University, in partnership with the eRulemaking Initiative, is hosting an on-line discussion board. Users are invited to take a look and provide feedback as well as enter discussion with other interested parties.

Request a Briefing: EPA welcomes opportunities to talk in more detail about the eRulemaking Initiative and provide a preview of the new system being developed. If you would like eRulemaking Initiative program coordinators to come to your office, please contact Kristin Tensuan, Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the eRulemaking Initiative, at 202-632-0338.

For more information about the eRulemaking Initiative, visit www.Regulations.gov

9 | Engaged or Not: D-Code Report on Canada's Information Age Generations
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Are Canadians between the ages of 15 and 34 Canada s Information Age Generations (IAGs) apathetic and disengaged from civil society? Or are they engaged on their own terms and active in developing new ways to involve themselves in the social, cultural, political, and economic life of the country? If so, what implications might this have for organizations that seek to engage young Canadians? D-Code s Citizen Re:Generation project brought together Canada s foremost experts on the various facets of citizenship, along with non-profit innovators and practitioners, young people, and existing data to explore these questions and better understand the meaning and practice of active citizen engagement among Canada s Information Age Generations.

Gauging active citizenship by traditional measures, the authors of the report on findings argue, ignores the changes and influences of the Information Age and the unique attitudes and experiences of the Information Age Generations. To enhance and sustain civic engagement among the Information Age Generations, democracy proponents need to understand their relationships with the various facets of civic engagement. Citizen Re:Generation is the first study to explore the interconnectedness of the different ways young people engage with civil society in Canada.< To download the report, visit D-Code online.