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In order for a democracy to work effectively, the people must choose who will run the responsibility of delegating power and resources. Without this input from the citizens, the essence of the democracy is lost.
In Philadelphia’s 8th District, those involved in the election of their officials choose to keep this principle alive. The project, entitled “Eyes on the Eighth,” aims to reach out to the community of the 8th District and encourage the citizens to step up and allow their voices to be heard.
In the last of three scheduled community forum events, participants gathered at the Commodore Barry Club at 6815 Emlen St. to take part in the unique venture. Spearheaded by Harris Sokoloff, the faculty director of the Penn Project for Civic Engagement, the program employed a unique process to gain the participation of those present.
In a very hands-off system, the group was split up into three groups, with each group being led by two mediators. Within this group, the mediators merely encouraged conversation on a variety of topics. With this system in place, the people provided the conversation and fueled it.
“This is the heart of citizenship,” Sokoloff said. “Not simply voting, that’s the middle of the act, before the voting hits, what are the issues, where do the candidates stand, where do we stand, what direction do we want our communities to move in?
“Talking together means that it’s not you alone holding [the candidates] accountable, it’s you together, as neighbors, as voters, that’s a much stronger sense of accountability.”
This proposed level of interactivity eventually roused participants to speak their minds, giving others the confidence and forum to do the same. Byron Mays, a resident of Germantown, appreciated this atmosphere.
“As a relatively new resident of Philadelphia, I want to get involved and try and make an impact,” Mays said. “It’s tough to know how to get involved sometimes but this type of program makes myself and others much more comfortable.”
As a later part of the process, participants were asked to rate the issues that were brought up within the circle. This helped to narrow down the numerous topics into something digestible that would appeal to the group at large.
Once the most popular topics were determined, the group was split up once again. These smaller groups began to work on formulating a series of questions pertaining to their topic of interest that would potentially be brought up during the candidates’ debate later this month.
Within each of these centralized and focused groups of a few individuals, questions were composed that had more of a direction and goal in mind.
Kenneth Schamberg, a former teacher in the Philadelphia School District, argued that schools needed to stop worrying about public image and focus on the issues that plague the system, like gangs and violence.
“If we choose not to, we’re allowing this pattern to continue, and that helps no one,” Schamberg said.
With the questions posed, the responsibility now falls on the shoulders of Newsworks.org to determine which issues will actually make it to the final level, where the candidates will face the collective arguments and quandaries of the constituents they hope to eventually serve.
Given the nature of the event, candidates vying for the district council seat were present for the event but chose to remain silent during the discussions themselves.
Having the candidates available allowed them to not only see a representation of the voters but to also see what is being brought up. That said, the candidates were encouraged to remain on the outside and not interfere with the proceedings. Doing so would potentially take away from the comfortable atmosphere and open forum that encourages discussion among peers.
This process of bringing the people together to act makes some hopeful as to what the system could yield in the future. Chestnut Hill resident Bob Rossman said he understands the importance of establishing public opinion and making the voice of the people be heard.
“We need this type of system in place to get people out and participating,” said Rossman. Schamberg, a resident of West Mount Airy.
“We need more town hall meetings, we need more people speaking up, we need more voices to be heard,” Schamberg said. “This is democracy in action.”
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