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Sender: Evelyn Messinger
Subject: Re: Decreasing traffic on the Transpartisan list
Date: Thu, Aug 14, 2014
Msg: 101094
As one of those who was active early on and has been silent lately, I want to thank David Nevins and second his statement. I've been interested in the ideas posted here, but like David I've hoped for action.
Applying our shared interest in Transpartisanship to a cooperative project is the only way to get to the next step, where we would grapple with the facts on the ground and see if a movement could be grown. A listserve can be very effective as a way for a team to coordinate when engaged in accomplishing a mission. But absent a mission, it is simply a place to speak.
Thanks, Evelyn -- Evelyn Messinger Executive Director, Digital Citizen http://digitalcitizen.tv +1.415.377.6278 emessinger1@gmail.com
On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 2:54 AM, David Nevins wrote:
> Jacob, > > > I should preface my remarks by saying that I am new to listserv and to the > NCCD. > > > > I am deeply involved with No Labels, a bi-partisan/transpartisan > organization that is making major progress in the area of bringing members > of Congress from both sides of the aisle together to dialogue, find > compromises, and even agree on legislation to move our country forward. > (No Labels currently has 94 members of Congress who are called Problem > Solvers, 47 Democrats and 47 Republicans who meet regularly in attempt to > bridge the partisan divide) > > To answer your question, as to why I think there's been a significant > decrease in Transpartisan listserv traffic from the spring I can only > present you with my own personal thoughts as to why I am not paying as much > attention as I previously had. Perhaps my thoughts relate to others as > well. > > > > It is my hope that a structure can be brought to the transpartisan dynamic > that is more than just an intellectual sharing of ideas, but instead > results in the creation of an organizational framework that will serve as > the conceptual plan for a powerful national political movement. My sense > is that list.serv is the sharing of ideas, many of them provocative and > certainly interesting, but with no direction or focus. > > > > My personal orientation is to action, so I've been focusing my direction > in other areas rather then listserv where I think the sharing of ideas > results in a plan of action. Having stated all of the above I realize that > the purpose of listserv may be designed for just the sharing of ideas, so I > fully understand how my orientation might not be a feasible part of the > listserv process. > > My desire is, and my focus is on making the transpartisan dynamic into a > grassroots political movement based on the concept of bridging partisan > divides and finding a higher ground. My ultimate goal is uniting the > many individuals and organizations that share a belief in governance based > on civil political discourse and critical thinking with the purpose of > developing a call to action. > > Perhaps this analogy related to my involvement with the Aspen Institute > will clarify my thinking. Every year the Aspen Institute holds an "Ideas > Festival" which is a public gathering of leaders from around the globe and > across many disciplines to "engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of > the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenge our times." > This is a valuable and worthy yearly event. However, the Aspen Institute > has recently initiated an Aspen Action Forum which they have described in > this manner: > > For over 60 years, the Aspen Institute has convened the world's leaders to > pause and reflect on the critical issues of our time. We invite these > leaders to do more than just reflect. We invite them to move "from thought > to action" at the Aspen Action Forum. > > > > The taking of an ideas festival to an action forum as the Aspen Institute > has done, describes the essence of my thinking as to what perhaps could > happen through the interactions initiated on listserv. > > That certainly was a long-winded way of answering your question. I hope > it helps you in some way. > > Regards, > > David L. Nevins > > For Political Perspective Visit: http://www.davidlnevins.com/ > > From: Jacob Hess > Reply-To: Jacob Hess > Date: Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 7:49 AM > To: "TRANSPARTISAN@LISTS.THATAWAY.ORG" > Subject: [TRANSPARTISAN] Decreasing traffic on the Transpartisan list > > Happy August all! I'm getting pumped about the fall conference coming up > - more than all the previous NCDD's I've attended. > > I have enjoyed many of the posts on this Transpartisan listserv and have > been learning a lot. Mark and Debilyn's questions have really got me > thinking - although I've mostly been "sitting with" my thoughts and trying > to absorb what others are sharing. I'm preparing a few things I'd love > your feedback on via the listserv prior to the conference - including a > Red-Blue Dictionary draft that Joan Blades and I are working on (credit to > Steve Bhaerman and Amanda Roman for the idea). > > For now, I'm curious why others think there's been a significant decrease > in Transpartisan listserv traffic from the spring (81 posts in March, 56 in > April, 89 in May) compared with the last couple of months (19 in June, 17 > in July). I assume this is mostly summer vacationing, although I > personally have had *more *time to read this summer (after getting a > bit overwhelmed with the e-mail flow earlier this year). More e-mails are > not necessarily either good or bad - but I thought I'd point out the > pattern and ask what others thought. > > Also, I'm curious about the listserv moderators' impressions - e.g., > whether the guidelines are being followed and aims being achieved? I had > thought our listserv discussion was building up to the conference - with > July focused on action ideas initially. But the questions seem to be > evolving from the initial plan, right? In any case, I'd love to hear the > listserv leaders' updated thoughts.... > --Jacob > > -- > Jacob Z. Hess, Ph.D. > Co-founder, *All of Life* > 801-712-1346, jzhess@gmail.com > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the TRANSPARTISAN list, click the following link: > http://lists.thataway.org/scripts/wa-THATAWAY.exe?SUBED1=TRANSPARTISAN&A=1 > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the TRANSPARTISAN list, click the following link: > http://lists.thataway.org/scripts/wa-THATAWAY.exe?SUBED1=TRANSPARTISAN&A=1 >
-- Evelyn Messinger http://citizenschannel.org +1.415.377.6278
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