Which issues are being considered for the 2012 Community Conversation Series?

1. Working Together: Collaboration and Regional Community Development-Collaboration is more than a buzz word. Collaborative efforts can produce results that improve Hoosiers’ quality of life, education, and regional community development. Communities throughout Indiana have already discovered the advantages and value of collaboration with their individual communities, counties, and regions. The Bowen Center for Public Affairs and Indiana Humanities will foster community conversations about collaborative strategies that have worked in various communities and how bringing together diverse, cross-disciplinary organizations might assist communities to meet their stated goals and needs.
2. Sense of Place-Arts, Education, Environment-Why do individuals want to live or move to a particular community? A sense of “place” has been on the minds of many Hoosiers. They want their “place” to reflect an enjoyable and beneficial quality of life. This sense of place can combine such issues as the opportunities and strength of the educational system and cultural programs as well as a concern about the community’s approach to sustaining the environment. Numerous cities, towns, and counties have learned the value of embracing their arts, heritage, and educational cultural environments. These realizations have produced changes in attitudes and behaviors which have resulted in a stronger sense of “place” for residents of the larger community. The Bowen Center for Public Affairs and Indiana Humanities will aid in creating conversations about how cities, towns, and counties create, fund, and implement an arts, heritage, education or a cultural environment strategy. Replication of best practices will also be discussed.
3. Making Government Work-Collaboration and Civility in Local Government-Hoosiers are concerned about how their state and local governments function. Whether considering township, city, town, or county government policies, Hoosiers want to know how decisions are made. Over the past few years, the Indiana General Assembly has passed legislation about government consolidation. Several years ago, the Kernan-Shepard Report featured 27 recommendations to increase local government’s effectiveness. In response, some communities in Indiana have collaborated to seek areas where local governments can work together, sponsored sessions which emphasized more citizen participation, and engaged in local government consolidation. Civility in civic affairs is an integral part of this process. The Bowen Center for Public Affairs and Indiana Humanities will help communities engage in a dialogue about the local government consolidation and use the concept of civility as an important aspect to this conversation. In addition, best practices that have been successful in making government work could also be part of the session.