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Electronic Democracy

 Survey on Draft Guiding Statements of the Coffee Party

Welcome ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP Introduction to the Survey


ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP

The Principles and Purpose Working Group is a self-organized and self-appointed volunteer advisory committee of Coffee Party members that came together in August 2010, to do two things:

  1. Engage a large, national sample of Coffee Party members in a conversation about their visions for the Coffee Party. Use member comments and feedback to develop a series of member-supported draft statements of the Coffee Party's Core Values, its Purpose, and its strategic Goals --- and present these statements to the Board of the Coffee Party for the Board's consideration.

  2. Conduct this project via an open, inclusive, collaborative, civil, and democratic process of dialogue, deliberation, and decision making that can be replicated throughout the Coffee Party.

Throughout this process, the Working Group's "north star" has been Coffee Party founder Annabel Park's frequent description of the Coffee Party as a "democracy movement."

The unifying theme of suggestions and feedback thus far has been how strongly this early vision --- the Coffee Party as a "democracy movement" --- continues to resonate with Coffee Party members.

The overarching hope of the Working Group is that this project will advance the growth and strengthen the impact of the Coffee Party.

  1. INITIAL DRAFT STATEMENTS

    For the last several months, the Working Group has been engaging members of the Coffee Party in a conversation about their hopes and visions for the Coffee Party Movement.

    Based on what the Working Group heard directly from these members, including

    • in local Coffee Party meetings
    • here on Shared Purpose forums
    • in facilitated conference calls
    • in two breakout sessions at the Louisville convention

    together with

    • Annabel Park's insights and ideas, as presented in Coffee Party videos, publications, and Web sites
    • Statements of Principles and Goals developed by state and regional Coffee Party groups

    the Working Group developed a series of Initial draft statements of the Coffee Party's Core Values, Purpose, and high-level strategic Goals, which the Group completed in late 2010.

    Over the life of this project, the Working Group has benefited from contributions from some 50 Working Group members --- including members of the Coffee Party's Interim National Team; leaders of state and local Coffee Party organizations; and other grassroots Coffee Party thinkers, writers, and activists --- who have dialogued and deliberated with one another in more than 50 conference calls and in countless supporting conversations by telephone and email.

    Most important: In the course of engaging the broader Coffee Party membership in this effort, the Group has received suggestions and feedback from several hundred members.

  2. REVISED DRAFT STATEMENTS

    Between November 2010 and January 2011, the Working Group conducted two online Surveys on the Initial draft statements with small "test" samples of Coffee Party members.

    The overall response from these members was very positive --- but the Working Group also received many constructive comments about how to make the statements better.

    Based on these member responses and comments, the Group has developed a series of Revised draft statements.

    These Revised draft statements are the basis of this online Survey, which is being sent to a much larger sample of all those who have engaged with the Coffee Party here on SharedPurpose.net

    Details about the Working Group's master document "Complete Revised Draft Guiding Statements + Strategy Options" are provided on the next page of the Survey. You can download a PDF of the document now at

    http://sharedpurpose.net/groupdocs/PurposesAndPrinciples_021811.pdf

    These are your statements --- so we're glad you're here to let us know what you think, and to help make the statements even better.

  3. GOING FORWARD

    Based on member responses, suggestions, and comments that are elicited by this online Survey on the Revised draft statements, the Working Group will develop the series of Final draft statements that the Group expects to present the Board of the Coffee Party in early April.

    Please complete the Survey by March 24, if you'd like for the Working Group to consider your feedback, as the Group develops these Final draft statements.

  4. TAKE THE SURVEY

    Please proceed to the next page, for a brief introduction to this Survey --- and thanks for being here!