Our Deliberative Democracy Work & COVID-19
Our typical organizational communications tend to recap recent activities and provide a glimpse at what’s coming up next on our programming calendar. However, as the COVID-19 situation evolves and the public health risks and practical challenges continue to mount for communities across the US (and the globe) the most important update we have to share today is that we have made the decision to postpone our upcoming in-person engagement events.
This decision affects events related to the Your Voice Ohio media collaborative and our forthcoming Rural Climate Dialogue with the Pierce County (WA) Conservation District along with a handful of other commitments. These events will be postponed until we are able to proceed without increasing health risks among attendees, partners, and community members or exacerbating logistical and personal complications brought about by the disruptive yet essential containment and mitigation strategies enacted by governments, businesses, nonprofits, and communities.
Deliberative civic engagement events such as Citizens Juries are the core element of our work and we are firmly committed to the notion that these practices are critical to fostering a stronger, more resilient democracy. Yet advancing this cause should never be pursued at the potential expense of the health and wellbeing of our neighbors, our communities, or our society as a whole. For us at the Jefferson Center it is most important in this moment to prioritize mitigation of the growing public health risks associated with the spread of COVID-19 wherever and however we are able. As an organization we can do our part in this effort by making the difficult decision to postpone upcoming in-person events and working remotely whenever we are able to minimize our interactions and limit potential for exposure
Finally, we encourage all of our supporters, partners and friends to take active and aggressive steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This can be done by taking individual precautions, by enacting and employing social distancing practices whenever possible, and by adhering to the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with your state and local public health authorities.
We are immensely grateful for our supporters and we look forward to updating you on our recent activities and previewing our ongoing efforts in the coming weeks and months.
Sincerely,
Kyle Bozentko
