It’s nice to know that people connecting through blogs and other online social networking are interested in and willing to also connect face to face.  Last week, we invited people involved in so-called virtual communities to meet and talk about why they use online tools to connect, and how local government could also use these tools for civic engagement (virtual communities is defined here as groups of people with similar interests who communicate and interact in an online environment).

A few people of a virtual community for mothers in the Charlotte area and students from UNC-Charlotte were kind enough to meet with us at Freedom Park on May 12.  They shared some great insights about how social networking sites can make an impact on the real (versus “virtual”) community.  Suggestions included using blogs to give information a more personal perspective to help people (residents) understand how things work at the individual level.  Since they are using alternative media themselves, it’s probably no surprise that they also advised us not to rely on TV news to share information. All their comments and suggestions were recorded for reference as we develop a comprehensive approach to civic engagement.

So, special thanks to those who took their time to come to this dialogue session.  We appreciate your interest and knowledge.   

Mecklenburg County has partnered with The Lee Institute to conduct a pilot program called MeckConnect, the purpose of which is to identify what motivates and what inhibits civic involvement in local government and the community. A key feature of the pilot is holding a series of dialogue sessions to learn why people are involved and engaged in civic matters and why they are not. In addition, the pilot intends to determine how motivating factors may vary among people with different backgrounds and/or socio-economic status.

As part of this process, we want to talk you and others who are involved in online social networking and with other virtual communities. You don’t need any special knowledge to participate. We’re just trying to learn how people use online tools to communicate and interact.

The dialogue sessions are similar to focus groups in format. The 90-minute session will be informal and conversational, and will be coordinated by a trained facilitator. The dialogue session will include a free catered meal for all participants.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by Thursday, May 8. E-mail your name and the session you will attend to meckconnect@mecklenburgcountync.gov

• Session 1, Monday, May 12 from 11:30 am-1:00 pm
• Session 2, Monday, May 12 from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm

The dialogue sessions will be held at the Conference Center at Freedom Park, 2435 Cumberland Ave., Charlotte, NC.

Public input from this pilot will be used by County leaders to develop comprehensive goals and strategies for ongoing community engagement.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit in on the monthly meeting of a church group comprising people 50 years and above (although I qualify by age, I was a guest rather than a member).  These folks allowed us to spend time asking them some of the questions we’ve been posing on this blog…stuff about citizen engagement.  It was a room of about 80 people who come together each month to socialize, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, pray, eat, and work together to help others.  I was asked to facilitate discussion among a group of about 11 of these folks, who brought forth immense life experiences and a bounty of perspectives on citizen involvement.  The things I learned are too many to put forth here today.  However, my overarching learning from being part of this event and other dialogue sessions we’ve held is that no matter what age, race, ethnicity, gender, income, time of residence in this community, political affiliation or other differences we may have, Mecklenburg residents want to connect with other people and want to help make their community — their neighborhood — a good or even better place to live.  While perhaps much of this desire and energy is being tapped into, I suspect there is much more people are willing and able to offer if we can find ways to let them.

Over the last several days we’ve been getting a lot of hits to this blog.  It might be that folks are just curious about what we’re discussing after hearing some news reports about Mecklenblog.  It might also be interesting to know that we’re having some face-to-face discussions about civic engagement in focus groups. We’ve met with a library book club, and with people appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to volunteer citizen advisory committees. We’re also going to talk with a neighborhood association and a church group.  What we are hearing is pretty fascinating.  We’re asking people why they get involved in their community, and even to tell us how they define “community.”  The most interesting thing about this second questions is that for most people “community” means their neighborhood.  We also have asked people to define what it means to be a good citizen.  So far the responses have focused on things like being a good neighbor and being aware of what’s going on in the neighborhood.  So here’s the question for today: What does it mean to be a good citizen?

“…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Above is the last line of the Declaration of Independence.  Okay, I admit I didn’t know this until I heard it on the “John Adams” series on TV.  Maybe I was listening for something like this given our recent efforts to find out what motives people to be engaged in their community and engaged with their government.  But it sure seems like this line is saying that as part of delcaring ourselves independent of English rule, we also are declaring our interdependence on each other. That civic responsibility is a necessity for having independence and freedom. 

At the risk of getting to high-brow, I’m bound to point out another quote…this one from Edward Gibbon who was commenting on the decline and eventual collapse of the noble Athenian Code. Gibbons wrote, “In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security.  They wanted a comfortable life and they lost it all–security, comfort and freedom….when the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free.”

Yikes. Is this a wake up call for us?

So Mecklenburg County has more than 860,000 people.  If you are one of these residents, the question is how do you define your community?  Do you see your community as the whole of Mecklenburg County?  Maybe you see it by virtue of the city or town you live in within Mecklenburg County.  Or is your community closer to your home, such as your neighorhood or even your street? 

 Now, when you think of being involved in your community, do you still think of it the way you may have answered above? 

 I believe most people think of their community — in terms of community involvement — as being the area close to their home.  Maybe it’s their neighborhood or maybe it’s even just the few streets around there home where they might know people personally.  But it’s this personal connection that drives how people define community, rather than some geographic area or some boundaries defined by governments.  Do you see your community as Mecklenburg County, your city/town, your neighorhood, or something different?

1. Think about a time you’ve been involved in the community. Take a moment to talk about why you got involved in that issue.

2. Can you think of a time when you didn’t help or get involved in an issue?

3. What does it take to be a good member of a community?

4. When I say “local government,” what comes to mind?

5. What are the responsibilities of good local government?

6. How can government get you more involved?

7. How involved are you in local government?

8. If a creek in your backyard got dirty, what would you do?

9. How involved do you think you are in community and government?

10. Are you satisfied with your role in community and government?

11. What can local government do to make it more likely you would be involved?

Thanks. You may answer anonymously if you wish, but all anonymous posts and first-time posters will be moderated.