Colorado State University Center for Public Deliberation Hosts Spring 2008 Community Issues Forum April 21

The Colorado State University Center for Public Deliberation will host the Spring 2008 Center for Public Deliberation Community Issues Forum from 6-9 p.m. April 21 at the Fort Collins Hilton, 425 W. Prospect Road. The local and campus community are welcome to join and discuss several key social issues.

Martin Carcasson, director of the Center for Public Deliberation and assistant professor in the Department of Speech Communication, will open the forum. Participants then will choose one of five topics for a small group discussion. The topics this spring include:

– What are the 21st Century Responsibilities of Citizenship?

– The Energy Problem: Choices for an Uncertain Future

– Alcohol and Responsibility: Which Way Forward?

– Violence in Intimate Relationships: What Can We Do?

– What should be done about maintenance, health and safety standards on housing in Fort Collins?

CSU students from the university’s Department of Speech Communication will participate in the forum as part of their capstone course.

"We hope this event becomes an every semester tradition for our community, a chance for campus and community to come together and work on some difficult issues in a respectful environment," said Carcasson. "We feel the students and the community need to come together more frequently in events like these, and we are happy to help provide this opportunity. Some of the topics introduced during the Community Issues Forums may become larger projects the CPD focuses on during future semesters."

Student facilitators will moderate the forums in a non-partisan manner while note-takers will document concerns, ideas, questions and other thoughts from participants. Reports from each of the forums will be posted online at www.cpd.colostate.edu. Additionally, the information gathered at these forums will be used to further develop ongoing center projects and inform various campus and community initiatives.

The Center for Public Deliberation, founded in the summer of 2006, is dedicated to enhancing local democracy through improved public communication and community problem-solving. Working with local city councils, county governments, state representatives, school boards and community organizations, the center organizes and hosts many events in the local community, including public forums on national and local issues and various workshops tied to public participation and civic engagement.

For more information, contact Martin Carcasson at (970) 491-5628 or visit cpd@colostate.edu.

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