One thing I would add to you reasons why local matters (and the four you have are great, particularly the argument that local leaders have to be problem solvers -- which means they have to work across differences to co-create things -- is particularly important. They can't just play the bad political game and keep getting re-elected.
The additional argument is tied to identity. A local identity can develop and be nurtured that provides an overarching identity that may provide enough common ground to better address differences. A big part of the shift in my research and practice from national to local was tied to the impact of identity. Instead of it being DvR, Red v. Blue, or conservative v. progressive, it can be Fort Collins, Larimer County, or northern Colorado. Part of that is connected to face to face interactions, but also just that it is easier to tap into the positive power of us, without necessarily having to have an other/them. (Plus I'm playing with the idea of a "benign other" (Fort Collins competes with Boulder, which inspires an identity here and motivates us, but it isn't like we are going to invade or actually hate Boulder).
This is a great point, Martin. I've been playing with the idea of identity lately, but your comment spurred some additional thoughts. I mentioned my bizarrely pluralistic childhood in my remarks at the Summit and despite the pluralism there was always an important identity that pulled us all together, namely family. But other kinds of hyperlocal identities can also be really important in creating community without othering people. I like that idea of a "benign other" and may play with that a bit when it comes to the politics of the family more broadly.
Thanks for sharing! I had registered for the Pluralism Summit because I'm trying to do more pluralism/moderation work, but I had to back out due to too many other things going on simultaneously. Next up, though, I'm hosting a screening of Undivide Us hopefully followed by a Pluralist Lab several weeks later.
Sounds like a great summit for you! I need to get out to more events like this-- where I might leave feeling inspired. I'm in Tallahassee and I love the Village Square! They organize a book club that I've recently joined (we're reading Jon Meacham's The Soul of America this semester). I enjoy keeping up with you through your Substack :) - SarahKeith (from the DDC)
Hey Sarah! So good to hear from you. I'm really glad you've been enjoying the Village Square. It looks like such a great model for fostering local dialogue and community-building. Their website is really fun too. Thanks for reading! We'll need to do a DDC roundup to get updates from everyone soon. It's been quiet.
Thanks for the shout out, Lauren, and sounds like a wonderful conference. As you can imagine, I strongly agree with the bottom up/start with local communities angle. (for others, this essay lays out my perspective - https://publicagenda.org/wp-content/uploads/Imagining-the-Robust-Deliberative-City.pdf
One thing I would add to you reasons why local matters (and the four you have are great, particularly the argument that local leaders have to be problem solvers -- which means they have to work across differences to co-create things -- is particularly important. They can't just play the bad political game and keep getting re-elected.
The additional argument is tied to identity. A local identity can develop and be nurtured that provides an overarching identity that may provide enough common ground to better address differences. A big part of the shift in my research and practice from national to local was tied to the impact of identity. Instead of it being DvR, Red v. Blue, or conservative v. progressive, it can be Fort Collins, Larimer County, or northern Colorado. Part of that is connected to face to face interactions, but also just that it is easier to tap into the positive power of us, without necessarily having to have an other/them. (Plus I'm playing with the idea of a "benign other" (Fort Collins competes with Boulder, which inspires an identity here and motivates us, but it isn't like we are going to invade or actually hate Boulder).
This is a great point, Martin. I've been playing with the idea of identity lately, but your comment spurred some additional thoughts. I mentioned my bizarrely pluralistic childhood in my remarks at the Summit and despite the pluralism there was always an important identity that pulled us all together, namely family. But other kinds of hyperlocal identities can also be really important in creating community without othering people. I like that idea of a "benign other" and may play with that a bit when it comes to the politics of the family more broadly.
Thanks for sharing! I had registered for the Pluralism Summit because I'm trying to do more pluralism/moderation work, but I had to back out due to too many other things going on simultaneously. Next up, though, I'm hosting a screening of Undivide Us hopefully followed by a Pluralist Lab several weeks later.
Sounds like a great summit for you! I need to get out to more events like this-- where I might leave feeling inspired. I'm in Tallahassee and I love the Village Square! They organize a book club that I've recently joined (we're reading Jon Meacham's The Soul of America this semester). I enjoy keeping up with you through your Substack :) - SarahKeith (from the DDC)
Hey Sarah! So good to hear from you. I'm really glad you've been enjoying the Village Square. It looks like such a great model for fostering local dialogue and community-building. Their website is really fun too. Thanks for reading! We'll need to do a DDC roundup to get updates from everyone soon. It's been quiet.