California Network--NIF Blog...Notes on Network Events, Deliberative Practice and Topics for Deliberation
Scheduled Public Forums & Events:
California Water Forums--if you are interested in convening a California Water forum sometime in 2009, please contact us.
Most Recent Issue Framing Pages:
Uncertain Waters: Navigating California's Water Priorities
The American Financial Crisis: How Can Confidence Be Restored?
Energy Futures: How Can We Achieve Energy Independence?
Tax Cuts: What Kind of Tax Cuts Will Restore Public Trust?
What are National Issues Forums?
National Issues Forums (NIF) bring people together to deliberate carefully on urgent issues so they can lay the foundation for public choices that everyone can live with. In these forums, everyday people gather to do the public’s business.
We weigh the benefits and advantages in each of several approaches against the costs and consequences.
We work through the emotional and ethical dilemmas of an issue to find some tradeoffs we are willing to accept.
We filter and clarify the values and choices that support the public’s hope that policy decisions will increasingly reflect the public’s ‘common ground’ values.
What kinds of workshops are offered? When?
NIF workshops in California were originally held at the University of California at Davis...known as the "Public Policy Institute." In recent years, these annual workshops have been replaced by customized sessions at sites in both northern and southern California for specific interest groups, many times focused on the unique needs of local communities. California Network workshops offer training sessions that are fast-paced and experiential in style, providing a safe and friendly atmosphere to gain understanding and skill in the practice of non-partisan, deliberative decision making.
The NIF Basics Workshop teaches a proven small-group discussion methods that participants can use to lead deliberative conversations in a variety of settings--this workshop starts the learning process in deliberative decision making.
The Community Teams Workshop teaches additional roles and methods that community members can use to generate deliberative forums in support of inclusive local participation in public decisions.
The Issue Framing Workshops lead participants through a sequence of research and writing activities to prepare a discussion guide on local community issues.
Contact the California NIF Network at consult@nifica.org or director@nifica.org
© 2009 California NIF Network