Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns Are Strengthening America
Mayors, city councilors, select board members, city and town managers, county executives, and other local government officials from across the country convened in this online conference in December...
View ArticleBehind the Scenes at HD
Since you haven’t heard from us much lately, we thought we’d share a glimpse of what’s inspiring and delighting us behind the scenes at HD. (Against the backdrop of a long winter in Oregon, we could...
View ArticleRandomly Chosen Panel Should Guide Airport’s Future, Officials Say
JORGE CASUSO “September 25, 2023 — The future of Santa Monica Airport should be hammered out — not by the usual community activists and civic volunteers — but by randomly selected “everyday people,”...
View ArticleProgram Director
.entry-header {display: none;} #secondary {display: none;} h2 {padding-top: 25px;} Program Director Application deadline extended to: 11:59PM PDT on April 30, 2024 HD’s Program Directors manage our...
View ArticleHot off the Press!
“Lottery-selected democracy is no panacea, but it is an example of a complex design that directly counters many of the threats facing our democracy today. It guarantees representation of many...
View ArticleStaff Transitions
The last three years at Healthy Democracy have been a triumph in collaboration. The art of practicing democracy in every decision, every interaction, every transition takes a dedication to and...
View ArticleCitizen Assemblies Concept Proposed for Central OR
HEATHER ROBERTS BEND, OR — A concept to engage the public in government policy decisions rarely seen in the U.S. could be coming to our area. City Club of Central Oregon Executive Director Kim Gammond...
View ArticleEditorial: Does Deschutes County need a do over on setting policy?
May 19, 2024 — When the Bend City Council agreed Wednesday to join an effort by the Central Oregon Civic Action Project to examine solutions to youth homelessness we had questions: Who is this group?...
View ArticleLaunching a first-of-its-kind Civic Assembly in Deschutes County, Oregon, USA 🇺🇸
12,750 invitation letters have been mailed to residents in our first project to institutionalise a Citizens’ Assembly in the US July 10, 2024 — Last week, with official support from city and county...
View ArticleLocal Citizen Assemblies to Start in the Fall
The first assembly will focus on finding potential solutions for youth homelessness JULIANNA LAFOLLETTE, JUNE 25, 2024 — The City of Bend and the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved a...
View ArticleAsambleas ciudadanas locales comenzarán en el otoño
La primera asamblea se enfocará en encontrar soluciones para los jóvenes sin hogar Julianna Lafollette | Translated Jéssica Sánchez-Millar, June 26, 2024 — El Ayuntamiento de Bend y la mesa de...
View ArticleMore than 12,000 Deschutes County households invited to help launch Civic...
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Central Oregon Civic Action Project and Central Oregon Youth Action Board have mailed 12,500 letters to randomly selected households in Deschutes County to participate in a...
View ArticleMove to Give Community “Seat at Table”
City Club Forum Floats Idea of Citizens Assembly to Tackle Topics in “Bend” Way Simon Mather, May 9, 2024 — A recent City Club of Central Oregon forum asked whether Citizens Assemblies — an idea which...
View ArticleSelection Event for First Civic Assembly in Central Oregon
July 30, 2024 — The Central Oregon Civic Action Project (COCAP), Healthy Democracy, and the Central Oregon Youth Action Board are excited to announce a Lottery-Selection event for Central Oregon’s...
View Article“Thanks for giving me hope”
October 17, 2024 — From 14 September to 6 October 2024, a Civic Assembly on the topic of youth homelessness took place in Deschutes County in the US state of Oregon. On 6 October, Members of the...
View ArticleCivic Assembly on Youth Homelessness wraps up its final discussion, preps...
Kelsey McGee, October 6, 2024 — BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — An innovative new way for Central Oregonians to weigh in on one of the region’s most pressing issues wrapped up its fifth and final day Sunday,...
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In Oregon assembly, Americans show another kind of politics is possible
Watch Deschutes County assembly members describe their experience in their own words As a contentious U.S. presidential election comes down to the wire, a group of citizens from across the political...
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Can Ordinary Citizens Solve Our Toughest Problems?
An effort in Bend, Ore., backed by big funders looks for answers to youth homelessness. George Anders, October 3, 2024 — BEND, ORE.Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close to...
View ArticleA Visitor’s Perspective: Deschutes Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness
By Nick Coccoma – A few weeks ago, as Americans hurtled toward yet another turbulent election, I made the journey from lush Portland to dry Bend to witness Healthy Democracy’s Deschutes Civic...
View ArticleCan ordinary citizens solve our toughest problems?
By GEORGE ANDERS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy | Updated 2:00 PM PST, December 11, 2024 BEND, OREGON (AP) — Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close, but she is...
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