A Global Forum on direct democracy will hold its U.S. conference July 30 to August 4 in San Francisco. The conference is free to the public. Nearly 300 participants have signed up so far representing 30 countries and 27 U. S. states.
While the conference features numerous panels on issues that run the gamut from direct democracy in the digital age to the question of creating a national initiative to international perspectives on the I&R process, there are many California centric events. Included is a Saturday morning panel that asks the question: Is California’s Initiative Process Ruining the State, Or Saving It?
Speakers from around the country include Ralph Nader, John Fund, and Grover Norquist along with California political figures Bob Hertzberg, Ward Connerly, Jon Coupal, Tom Hayden, Peter Schrag, Bob Stern and many others.
Fox and Hounds Daily blogger and New America Foundation senior fellow, Joe Mathews, is co-president of the event along with Bruno Kaufmann from the European Initiative and Referendum Institute.
I will be moderating a panel on Sunday entitled: "On the Media: I&R in the Court of Public Opinion." On the panel will be Dan Morain of the Sacramento Bee, Jane Hamsher, founder of the Firedoglake blog, Jon Flesichman from Flash Report, Robert Greene from the L.A. Times and Patrick McGuigan from Oklahoma’s CapitolBeatOK.com.
The website for the 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy can be found here.
The program schedule is here.
The program will take place at the UC Hastings College of Law, Louis B. Mayer Student Lounge. To register for the free conference go here.