The People Speak: America Debates its Role in the World is a program to encourage public debates about foreign policy. The idea is that events should be held all around the country, primarily between the 5th and the 18th of October (i.e. now). You know they have to be doing something interesting if they can get the simultaneous endorsement of The United Nations Foundation, The Open Society Institute, The League of Women Voters, The American Enterprise Institute, The Jesse Helms Center [!!!], and lots of other do-good groups.
They've actually put together an ideologically balanced but nonetheless meaty debate package (MS Word document). And they offer micro-grants to groups that want funds to help stage an event.
Impressive.
I learned from the Jointhedebate.org website (I sure haven't heard about it on campus) that we here at the University of Miami are hosting one of the Marquee Events. Oddly, however, they don't (yet) seem to have found a 'progressive' speaker, only a 'conservative':
Miami
Venue: University of Miami, Storer Auditorium
Date: Monday, October 13, 2003
Time: 6:30 pm
Participants:
- Moderator: Dr. Ambler Moss, Former Ambassador to Panama, professor University of Miami
- Conservative Viewpoint: Former State Representative Carlos La Casa
Indeed, of the debate sites that list speakers, Miami is the only one that lists only one side. Can it be that difficult to find a foreign policy progressive in Miami?
