NewCo Silicon Valley 2014

Session Description: The American experiment in self-government is at an important crossroads—and the way forward requires that citizens learn to exercise their obligations in governing as skilled partners with their elected representatives. The revolutions during the Arab Spring in Cairo and this year’s revolt in Kiev, Ukraine found their symbolic centers within the physical place of the public square. But governing often proves more challenging than revolution or rebellion. And the conceptual space of the public square in the 21st century means an enlivened public square, with a citizenry better informed, engaged, and equipped with the civic ability to participate, contribute, and share the responsibility for the difficult choices of our time. This is the core work of city government: building civic capacity and literacy.