student conference on deliberation

One of the highlights of last summer was a fascinating conference called No Better Time, which convened scholars, activists, leaders, and students who are committed to deliberation. Hundreds of people met at the University of New Hampshire for a rich set of discussions and working groups.

The student participants banded together and decided to create a national conference of their own. It’s called Connect the Dots, and it will be held on March 3-6, 2010, Point Clear, Alabama. They are calling it “A national student conference on public dialogue, deliberation, community problem solving and action.” It should be fantastic. Students, faculty, and practitioners should apply to present.

The host of the conference is the David Mathews Center. David is now the president of the Kettering Foundation and was the president of the University of Alabama in the 1970s. The center named for him is located in Tuscaloosa. Its “purpose is to foster infrastructure, habits, and capacities for more effective civic engagement and innovative public decision making.”