Carolyn is a dynamic speaker, fresh from a presentation last week that was attended by members of our foundation community who were very impressed. Wouldn’t this be a great way to resolve some of our community issues?
TO: All Interested Parties
The Pittsburgh Mediation Center, the Mediation Council of Western PA and the ADR Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association are again co-sponsoring the Lawrence W. Kaplan Lecture in Conflict Resolution. It will be held April 5 at 5:00 p.m. at the Omni William Penn Hotel downtown.
This year's lecture is "Conflict Resolution and Deliberative Democracy", by Carolyn Lukensmeyer of AmericaSpeaks, www.americaspeaks.org. Ms. Lukensmeyer is known worldwide for her work in engaging large groups (500 to 4500) of citizens in the public decision-making process through interactive technology and other innovative techniques.
Along with changing the nature of public decision-making, interactive dialogue is one of the most effective forms of conflict prevention. Ms. Lukensmeyer has taken this process to new heights. For example, see how NE Ohio is mobilizing to use these techniques to involve the community in regional planning.
We are very excited to be part of the effort to introduce the Western Pennsylvania region to her innovative work.
This event promises to be a unique opportunity to enrich your thinking in the fields of conflict resolution and deliberative democracy. I urge you to make attending this event a priority. Deadline to RSVP for the lecture is March 29, 2005.
Download & print the invitation (doc format)
To receive a paper copy of the invitation, contact Marlene Ellis at the Allegheny County Bar Association.
Deliberative Democracy is a new term to Pittsburgh, mostly. This isn't new to the rest of the world. I've been hosting "deliberate.com" for a years with Dr. M. Davis. http://www.Deliberate.com.
Pittsburgh can't get into the new styles of engagement with its wrongheaded leadership approaches. The people we have in office now are just not cut out for these efforts, sadly. So, we need to replace them with others who are.
All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty together again. Same too holds for Pittsburgh. This MUST be a community process. Humpty is NEVER going to look the same.
To make peace is hard work. Democracy is messy. Bring it on -- with glee because authorities are killing our region. The union attitude (small "U") is driving people away.
For Pittsburgh to thrive, we'll need many opportunities to get our heads around issues such as "deliberative democracy." Count me in. This is wellness on a grand, civic scale.
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Conflict Resolution and Deliberative Democracy
Second Annual - LAWRENCE W. KAPLAN LECTURE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Tuesday, April 5, 2005 5:00 p.m. Omni William Penn Hotel
Reception and hot hors díoeuvres in conjunction with lecture. Dessert following program.
Presentation of Plaque to and Introduction by The Honorable Lawrence W. Kaplan
Lecture Given and Interactive Audience Process Guided by Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, Ph.D. Founder and President of AmericaSpeaks
Redevelopment issues, budget priorities, taxes, education, and transportation.
Pittsburgh and many other Southwestern Pennsylvania communities are constantly faced with critical issues that demand creative thinking and long-term planning. Public officials strive to gather input and, many times, are frustrated by the quality of input they receive. At the same time citizens often feel unheard.
What if it were possible to engage citizens in a true deliberative dialogue to examine the burning issues in our region?
AmericaSpeaks, a non-profit organization, uses highly advanced electronic processes, and skilled facilitation, to generate a process of democratic deliberation that truly engages citizens in public decision-making. Democratic deliberation -- citizens working with one another, through dialogue, to come to a judgment about the best course of action on a given public issue -- is a central part of our democratic tradition. If there is a strong, deliberative dialogue citizens an opportunity for a strong voice in public decision-making and decision-makers can obtain input and results within the increasingly brief timeframes required of them. As a result, citizens beneficially impact, outcome, and those in leadership make more informed, lasting decisions. Collaboration is fostered, and entrenched conflicts are prevented. Since the organizationís founding in 1995,
AmericaSpeaks methodologies have engaged over 65,000 people in over 50 large-scale forums in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The AmericaSpeaks process has been the foundation of developing budgetary priorities, altering the ultimate design of the World Trade Center Towers site in lower Manhattan, generating the beginning of a Unified Agenda for Children in Charlotte, North Carolina, and most recently supporting the collaborative engagement of attendees at the World Economic Forumís Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Join us to learn about this exciting, new process of mutual engagement from Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, the inspiring President and Founder of AmericaSpeaks. Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer is known and sought worldwide for her efforts to reengage citizens in the public decision-making process through new and innovative techniques. She and AmericaSpeaks have received numerous awards, most recently from the International Association for Public Participation and from Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University and postgraduate training from the Gestalt Institute,
Dr. Lukensmeyer has led her own organizational development and management consulting firm with international clientele and has served as Consultant to the White House Chief of Staff, as the Deputy Project Director for Management of the National Performance Review under former Vice President Al Gore and as Chief of Staff to former Governor Richard F. Celeste of Ohio. Dr. Lukensmeyer traveled the country for six months in 1994 to gauge successful citizen involvement in the public decision-making process, then convened 50 elected officials, foundation representatives, journalists, community activists, and organizational development consultants to address methods to strengthen the relationship between citizens and decision-makers. In 1995, Dr. Lukensmeyer founded AmericaSpeaks on the principles and concepts which resulted from that meeting. Ten years later, Dr. Lukensmeyer travels across the country and around the world sharing the mission and goals of AmericaSpeaks and guiding groups of 500 to 4500 people in deliberative processes that prevent conflict through enhanced citizen and public engagements. Tear and remit with reservations
SECOND ANNUAL LAWRENCE W. KAPLAN LECTURE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Name: Guest(s):
Total Reservations @ $40 Each: ________
Total Amount Enclosed:
Please make checks payable to the Allegheny County Bar Association.
Please Charge My Credit Card Circle one: Visa / MasterCard Number: __________________________ Expiration Date:
Signature:
Please Mail to Marlene Ellis, Allegheny County Bar Association,
400 Koppers Building,
436 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
RSVP by Tuesday, March 29, 2005
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