Other mission statements we may want to examine:
Feel free to add others you like or think we should be careful to distinguish ourselves from.
The Catalyst Centre The Catalyst Centre celebrates and promotes innovative learning, popular education, research and community development to advance positive social change.
The Shambhala Institute The Shambhala Institute is a resource and catalyst for broad-based leadership initiatives, with the result that people from all parts of society are working together towards a bright and sustainable future. In organizations, communities, and societies throughout the world, the values of authentic leadership are being widely lived and practiced. In this way, the Institute is a practice field, a resource, and a networking hub for worldwide movements towards more enlightened societies.
The Citizens Project of Colorado Citizens Project spotlights issues in the Pikes Peak region and mobilizes people to strengthen the traditional values of our nation: equal rights, individual freedoms, separation of church and state, civic engagement, and respect for diversity.
Vision: We envision a Pikes Peak community that is a vibrant democracy in which equal rights are protected, individual freedoms are secure, differences are respected, and people fully participate in civic and community life.
The Public Dialogue Consortium We are a group of educators, consultants, and practitioners who promote high quality communication on public issues. We are held together by our shared values and our pleasure in working together.
We envision a world in which communication in the public sphere is humane, constructive, and beneficial to all.
We believe that how people communicate determines the kind of world in which they live. If they communicate in hostile, polarized, problem-centered ways, they make a world of destructive conflict. If they communicate in a collaborative and constructive fashion, they make a world in which problems can be solved creatively, differences can be explored appreciatively, and better futures can be constructed for the entire community.
Such communication is characterized by trust and respect, and we focus on ways that help make this possible. We aim to create opportunities in which* *participation is inclusive rather than exclusive; *the freedom to speak is joined by the right to be heard and the responsibility to listen; *differences are treated as resources rather than barriers; *conflict is handled collaboratively rather than adversarially; and *decisions are made creatively rather than defensively.
The Deliberative Democracy Consortium
//(Here's one we need to distinguish ourselves from, since NCDD and the DDC have some overlapping constituencies.)//
The mission of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium is to bring together practitioners and researchers to support and foster the nascent, broad-based movement to promote and institutionalize deliberative democracy at all levels of governance in the United States and around the world.
//Deliberation// is an approach to decision-making in which citizens consider relevant facts from multiple points of view, converse with one another to think critically about options before them and enlarge their perspectives, opinions, and understandings.
//Deliberative democracy// strengthens citizen voices in governance by including people of all races, classes, ages and geographies in deliberations that directly affect public decisions. As a result, citizens influence - and can see the result of their influence on - the policy and resource decisions that impact their daily lives and their future.
The Association for Conflict Resolution The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) is a professional organization dedicated to enhancing the practice and public understanding of conflict resolution. ACR represents and serves a diverse national and international audience that includes more than 6,000 mediators, arbitrators, facilitators, educators, and others involved in the field of conflict resolution and collaborative decision-making. Anyone interested in the field of conflict resolution is welcome to join.
The International Association for Public Participation IAP2 is an association of members who seek to promote and improve the practice of public participation in relation to individuals, governments, institutions, and other entities that effect the public interest in nations throughout the world. IAP2 carries out its mission by organizing and conducting activities to: *Serve the learning needs of members through events, publications, and communication technology; *Advocate for public participation throughout the world; *Promote a results-oriented research agenda and use research to support educational and advocacy goals; *Provide technical assistance to improve public participation.
The International Association of Facilitators The mission of the IAF is to promote, support and advance the art and practice of professional facilitation through methods exchange, professional growth, practical research, collegial networking and support services. This is accomplished through peer-to-peer networking, professional development and annual conferences which are critical means for fulfilling the mission and reflecting our core values.
