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Spring, 1998. Vol. 85 No. 2 |
Making Democracy Work in California Communities
By Gail Dryden, LWVC Special Projects Director
Leagues across California are finding ways to implement the national League issue for emphasis, Making Democracy Work (MDW), and they are doing it in ways that increase League visibility, while focusing on issues important within their own communities. If you have not yet initiated a project, it is not too late--and there are some great ideas you can copy from the work of other Leagues.
With five subsections to the national program emphasis, every League can choose the area that will have the greatest impact in their community. Increasing civic participation is key to the projects of several Leagues. Los Angeles is moving into local neighborhoods to help citizens understand the two charter proposals that will change the way LA is governed. The Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville League is participating in a 'pen pal' project with high school students which will help the students understand the need for government and how it effects them. Modesto's League is providing informational material for voters in Spanish. The Spanish-speaking media is also covering issues that will help increase citizen's understanding of the need for their participation in government.
Campaign finance reform has been a major focus of the state League, yet local Leagues are using their resources to effect local campaign finance laws, too. Is this something your League could do? Start by making a presentation on the need for this reform at the County Board of Supervisor's meeting--like the Placerville League has done.
Speaker series, sequential articles in the local paper, community dialogues, and cable television programming are all being used by various Leagues to expand civic education and knowledge. Co-sponsorship of activities at local adult schools or participation in programs initiated by other groups can do even more than expand civic education, for it is also a way to diversify your outreach endeavors.
And, speaking of diversity of representation, the Capistrano Bay League has been connecting with new citizens during the Adult School Citizenship classes by conducting interviews with these new citizens--in the new citizen's native language.
Motherhood and apple pie--that is what building citizen participation is to the League. But local Leagues are using the MDW emphasis as a vehicle to find new ways to affect citizen participation. The Palos Verdes League has simply agreed to invite a neighbor to go with them to the polls as part of their work in this area. New sites for voter registration materials are a focus of the Central San Mateo League.
Seeing the need for work in every area of the MDW emphasis, the Orange Coast League has just finished taping a series of cable television programs where each of the topics of MDW has been the emphasis for one televised panel.
Do you want to see your League do something to make democracy work in your community? Have you already started a program and want us all to know about it? Contact the Special Projects Director for the state League, Gail Dryden at (888) 870-VOTE, for ideas and help--or just to let her know about other great projects happening all across California.
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© Copyright 1998 by the League of Women Voters of California
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