« Comment on the Agenda's final day | Main | The Score: Civic Energy 1, Weathermen, 0 »

Citizens Convention: A little snow won't stop us

Despite the forecast, people are rolling into the Convention Center for the Great Expecations Citizens Convention. More than 650 people registered to attend, so it should make for a good exchange of ideas later in the day. We'll start about 12:15 with an overview of the project by Great Expectations' Chris Satullo and Harris Sokoloff. Joining us will be Mayor-elect Michael Nutter.

Check back on the blog throughout the week as our Great Expectations citizen bloggers post their take on today's events.

Posted by Jodie Chester on December 2, 2007 11:54 AM |

Comments (2)

Kathy:

This was a pleasant and long over due citizen forum, we really enjoyed it and everyone we spoke to seemed to think it was progressive in bring our citizens together to voice their concerns and ideas; lot's of great ideas were exchanged today. I only wish there was more time to discuss all the issues that concern us. It would be wonderful if we could hold these forums on a regular basis. I was (as others)dissapointed that our groups weren't diverse because this effects us all. I guess oneThank you for this event.

Posted by Kathy | December 2, 2007 7:00 PM

Posted on December 2, 2007 19:00

Bill Marston:

I was surprised at the depth of critcal thinking today - an example: in the Environment breakout the entire group came to call for changing the "No. 1 Priority" from "Fairmount Park" to education in "environmental principles of interdependency". The feeling was that once people perceive that:


  • the water in their kitchen sink is (in essence) Philly's rivers and the creeks that flow into them - the Schuylkill River & the Delaware River;
  • the leaking motor oil on the street is their morning shower;
  • the apple just washed is yesterday's rainstorm overflow,

then they will act differently. IOW, it is not about being TOLD that recycling matters... it's more like having all the unrecycled stuff begin to pile up in your dwelling, and once you can't stand it any more THEN you begin acting differently - especially when the new way is easier than the old way.

That is an example of the depth of change that any of us citizens of the city can bring forth - and can implement with open dialogue at the table of open, rational talk. And we are insisting on that, now.
Not bad, eh, for a few hours with a few old friends and partners in change?

Thanks, everyone! We'll gather again, soon!

Posted by Bill Marston | December 2, 2007 9:19 PM

Posted on December 2, 2007 21:19

Post a comment

Philly.com discussions are intended to be civil, friendly conversations. Please treat other participants with respect and in a way that you would want to be treated. You are responsible for what you say. And please, stay on topic.

These boards are monitored by Philly.com staff. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. Personal attacks, especially on other board participants, are not permitted. We reserve the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions.

Authors

blogart.jpg

Great Expectations is a civic engagement project brought to you by The Inquirer and the University of Pennsylvania. Check out the Great Expectations Web site.

Chris Satullo is an Inquirer columnist and former editor of The Inquirer's Editorial Page. He was a founder of the Great Expectations project, which focuses on civic engagement and the issues in Philadelphia's 2007 mayoral race.

Tom Ferrick, a former Inquirer reporter, worked on the Great Expectations project throughout 2007 and into 2008.

Other members of the Editorial Board will be weighing in on the blog, as will Harris Sokoloff and Jodie Chester Lowe, members of the Great Expectations team.

Search


About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on December 2, 2007 11:54 AM.

The previous post in this blog was Comment on the Agenda's final day.

The next post in this blog is The Score: Civic Energy 1, Weathermen, 0.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]
Powered by
Movable Type 3.35