A recently released 500,000 Voices report highlighting values and beliefs held by citizens across southwest Washington is gaining significant traction if recents developments are any indication.
A capacity crowd of about 200 community leaders gathered at Opening Conversation, a special briefing at WSU Vancouver, to learn more about the survey's findings. During the Feb. 26 event, WSU Vancouver officials announced the founding of their Initiative for Public Deliberation (IPD), a program of the Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service. The initiative is already operational – with students completing formal coursework in public deliberation – and aims to engage a broad cross-section of local residents in discussing vital issues facing our community.
Equipped with fresh insights from the 500,000 Voices report and new capacity for public deliberation, WSU Vancouver and its student moderators have scheduled a series of forums on the topic of affordable housing in southwest Washington. These discussions will be held at various times and locations across southwest Washington this spring, and are being co-hosted in partnership with WSU Vancouver, the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, Identity Clark County and Clark College.
The goal of WSU Vancouver's Initiative for Public Deliberation, which is part of the highly regarded Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service, is to enhance local democracy through improved public communication and community problem-solving.
According to Dr. Carolyn Long, Associate Professor of the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, the IPD will become a home for ongoing public discussion and civic engagement around key regional issues. Long said the IPD will assist local government, schools boards, and community organizations by researching issues, developing useful background material, and designing, facilitating and reporting findings from innovative public forums and panel discussions. It will also expand academic opportunities at WSU Vancouver by allowing students to learn about deliberative techniques and receive training for small group facilitation.
"This announcement is a major step in the growth of WSU Vancouver and also for our region as a whole," Long said. "We see this initiative as providing a much-needed neutral ground for all residents and civic leaders to discuss and assess important issues outside of the polarized vacuums that have come to dominate local and national decision making."
The initiative will also allow the 500,000 Voices Partnership to build upon the data gathered through the 500,000 Voices survey, and ensure that regional policies, resources and priorities align with community values. Published under a Creative Commons license, the 500,000 Voices summary report and survey complete data sets are now publicly available to share, use, and build upon. Complete results and a printable report can be found online at www.500kVoices.org.
"These findings are an asset to everyone who lives and works in southwest Washington," said Jennifer Rhoads, president of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington. "Sharing this information freely will only add to its insights and make it a more useful resource as residents and leaders begin working together to improve this great region."
