participation
In our first episode of the iCitizen vblog we interview Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement and author of "The Future of Democracy, Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens." Peter offers his thoughts on how the Internet will change civic participation and why citizenship should be taught in school.
The World Forum on the Future of Democracy in Williamsburg, Va., was a great opportunity to reflect on the nature of democracy and what we have learned in the project so far. If I were to take one message away from the World Forum it would be that democracy is no spectator sport. Through the course of the three-day conference we were reminded that a successful democracy requires the active participation of its citizens. A vital question that we have to grapple with in the 21st century is how to ensure this participation in a world where voting and citizen participation is declining.
