Politalk

I found this photo among the photos showing up on flickr from NCDD 2008. This is me (on the right), hanging out with Dave Witzel. I’m not sure what the squinting was about, I only had one beer.

This photo was taken at a pre-conference technology session, during which we talked about how conference participants might use the web to interact and share the wisdom coming out of the conference, with folks who could not make.

In addition to the flickr photos, the best real-time means of checking in on the progress of the conference is through Twitter.

In the fall of 2002, I got an interesting email about an upcoming (the first) national conference on dialogue and deliberation. At the time, I had been organizing online public policy discussions at my web site, Politalk.Com, on a volunteer basis, for almost 4 years. I had also done some volunteer work for E-Democracy.Org, including the organization and moderation of an online debate for candidates running for US Senate.

All of this work, was being done out of my basement without any real training or idea of how my work fit into the context of what others were doing around the country. I had previously had limited contact with a couple of folks engaged in similar online democracy projects, via the phone and email, but had not met any of them and felt quite isolated and out of touch with what others were doing, with the exception of the work I was doing with Steve Clift, who lived nearby.

Over the course of those four years, I had developed my own style and approach to online dialogue, but was feeling the limitations of how far I would be able to take my work, without the opportunity to meet and learn from others with similar interests and more advanced training and skills. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I had stumbled across a possible career path or had simply created a very time-consuming hobby.

I remember arriving at the first NCDD conference in Arlington, VA, quite shy and unsure of myself. Yet, I also remember a very strong and immediate sense that I had somehow come home and had been reconnected with “my people.” Over the course of several days, I met a number of people with who I have since developed very long and lasting friendships, people that I look forward to meeting at various conferences at least once or twice a year. That first NCDD conference  challenged me both intellectually and emotionally. I went home inspired, but more importantly, I went home feeling as I was a part of something much larger than myself.

Based upon the connections I made at the first NCDD conference, I found myself part of a national network of folks experimenting with online dialogue and deliberation. I became an active member of the Online Working Group of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium and eventually had the opportunity to organize and host an international meeting, in my home state of Minnesota, on the theme of “Deepening Online Deliberation.” At various times over the last six years, I have come to see myself as a leader in this emerging field of online deliberation. At other times, I’ve sought the advice and leadership of friends I’ve made along the way.

This year, I’m so very thankful to be attending my fourth conference on Dialogue and Deliberation, three NCDD conferences and one in Canada (C2D2). I look forward to the 4th National Conference on Dialogue and Deliberation as an opportunity to connect with old friends, but more importantly, I’m looking forward to the next few days as an opportunity to challenge myself and grow on both a personal and a professional level.

Over a year ago, I set up this blog as a placeholder for my politalk.org domain name. For over a year, this page sat empty, waiting for something to happen, while I focused all my energy on the rapid growth and development of E-Democracy.Org. Things at E-Democracy.Org are still going strong, but not so much for me. I’ve taken an extended absence from E-Democracy.Org to recuperate and refresh myself.  I simply needed some time to focus on my family and reflect on all the exciting work I’ve been doing over the last few years, and figure out where to best focus my efforts in the years to come. As of this moment, I am no longer working for E-Democracy.Org. Its not entirely clear whether or not I’ll return to work for E-Democracy.Org at some point in the future, or seek new challenges and opportunities. Right now, I’m simply taking care of myself and hanging out with my family.

For those of you who know me, they know that E-Democracy.Org has always been much more than a job for me. It’s been my passion. My work with E-Democracy.Org has taken me to places as far away as the UK, Austria, and Brazil. Through my role with E-Democracy.Org, I became known as a national expert in the field of online deliberative democracy and hung-out with many of the leaders in this exciting new field. Its been an exciting ride and an honor I’m not sure that I deserved.

I expect that the ride is not entirely over, even if I find myself changing modes of transportation. My vision for the future remains relatively unchanged. I’m very proud to have been a part of the groundbreaking work that E-Democracy.Org has accomplished in the area of onlince citizen engagement over the past few years. I know that E-Democracy.Org will be continuing that work, as I expect that I will, as well. The internet remains and underutilized resource for engaging citizens in the important decisions that effect their lives. There is much work yet to be done.

My short term plans are to do a lot of writing, in this blog and elsewhere, about the things I’ve learned, my ideas for the future, and whatever else inspires me. During this time, I’ll be thinking about how I can best and most effectively contribute to the important fields of online deliberative democracy and online citizen engagement. For those of you who share this passion, I look forward to encountering you somewhere along the road!

In the meantime, I’m on my way to the National Conference on Dialogue and Deliberation. I can’t think of a better group of people to hang out with, during this time of transition.