> Subj: RE: [P2DDIntra] Any conferences scheduled?
> Date: 2/27/01 11:35:35 AM Pacific Standard Time
> From: [log in to unmask] (MDW IRI) Initiative and
>Referendum Institute
http://www.iandrinstitute.org/
> As many of you may know, the Initiative & Referendum Institute will be
> having an international conference in the U.S. in August. The email below
> gives more details about it. I hope each of you will help spread the word
> about it so we can let as many people as possible know about it.
>
> If you have any comments about the conference please let me know. I believe
> it will be the largest I&R/Direct Democracy conference of the year.
>
> All the best,
> Dane
>
> ========
> Itīs that time again. The Institute has begun the preparations for its next
> international conference. It will be held in San Francisco from Thursday,
> August 30 through Saturday, September 1. This is Labor Day weekend, which
> will give attendees a great opportunity to combine learning with a vacation
> opportunity in San Francisco and the West coast.
>
> We are hoping to have between 400 and 500 people attend (possibly more).
> The conference will be a balanced overview of I&R in the U.S. and in select
> countries around the world. Panelists and participants will consist of
>> activists, academics, the media, elected officials and other opinion
> leaders. It should be a very diverse and influential group.
>
> The agenda is not complete and still in development but some of the
> POTENTIAL panels include:
>
> 1) A comparison of the U.S. and Swiss initiative systems
>
> 2) A look at the current state of the initiative and referendum process in
> the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Africa
>
> 3) A look at the use of national referendums to address sovereignty issues -
> in particular Canada (Quebec secession), Northern Ireland (Good Friday
> Accords), and the break-up of Yugoslavia
>
> 4) A look at the possibilities of establishing a national initiative or
> referendum process in the United States
>
> 5) A look at the reforms attempted through the initiative process including
> drug policy reform, term limits, school choice, bi-lingual education, ending
> racial preferences, animal protection, environmental reform and tax reform
>
> 6) A look at current efforts to regulate, restrict, establish or reform the
> initiative process
>
> 7) A look at the current legal struggles of the initiative process (access
> restrictions, super majority requirements, single subject restrictions and
> circulator requirements)
>
> 8) A look at the difficulty of getting governments to actually implement
> initiatives once the voters adopt them.
>
> 9) A look at the fiscal impact of initiatives
>
> 10) A look at the possible use of the internet to collect signatures and
> increase citizen participation in the initiative process
>
> 11) A point - counterpoint debate about the initiative and referendum
> process.
>
> In addition to these panel discussions, we will have lunch and dinner
> speakers who will reinforce the messages presented during the conference.
>
> Any comments you have regarding these potential panels and recommendations
> on potential panelists and speakers would be greatly appreciated.
>
> The registration fee for the conference has yet to be decided and will
> depend primarily on how many co-sponsors we are able to find. The more
> co-sponsors we have the less we will have to charge attendees. However, due
> to the caliber of the potential speakers and panelists (we will be inviting
> numerous heads of states, world recognized academics, activists, and media
> personalities) and the fact that we will be providing numerous meals and
> briefing books, the registration fee will be somewhere in the $350 - $395
> range. If you are interested in being a co-sponsor or know of someone or
> group that might be interested please do not hesitate to let me know.
>
> More formal plans will be forthcoming over the next few weeks. However, it
> would be very helpful in the planning and in negotiating our rates with the
> hotel if I could get a preliminary count on how many of you might attend the
> conference.
>
> All the best,
>
> Dane
----------------------------
See related:
Citizens' Initiative I&R
http://iniref.tripod.com/index.html
Vote for more democracy at
http://www.sztaki.hu/servlets/voting/call
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