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Civic Participation Action Plan
How involved are the residents of your community in community affairs?
Do they attend local government meetings? Do they volunteer for civic
activities? Do they turn out to vote, especially for local candidates?
An important part of a Green Community is the civic infrastructure of
the community. Let's explore further the development of an action plan
for civic participation. Click here for Civic
Participation Action Plan Indicators and Linkages
Goals and Objectives
Goals
- Participation by residents in community activities.
- Keep residents involved and informed in the decision-making process.
Objectives
- Increase voter registration and turnout.
- Increase involvement in community service projects.
- Boost volunteer efforts in the schools.
- Develop viable candidates for elective and appointed offices.
- Provide opportunities for community participation at all age levels - teens, young parents, empty-nesters and seniors.
- Seek participation in the arts both as active and passive participants.
- Develop and sustain viable neighborhood groups to represent their own interests.
- Provide opportunities for volunteerism in a broad range of community activities.
- Make participation proactive rather than reactive.
- Provide local leadership training to nurture new leaders.
- Provide opportunities for integration of the three sectors: private; nonprofit; and public.
Recommendations for Action Planning
- Establish leadership seminars to train future community leaders.
- Provide a forum for the private, public and nonprofit sectors to communicate with one another.
- Use the newspaper to communicate and recruit volunteers for community efforts.
- Develop educational programs to instruct residents of the community on how decision making works in the community and how they can participate.
- Widely advertise vacant elected and appointed positions.
- Develop a strong, well funded public library system supported by volunteers from the community.
- Ensure provision of services equitably throughout the community.
- Develop programs and goals for community philanthropy.
- Honor those who give and participate.
- Develop a process for conflict resolution.
- Create a mechanism for local governments to work cooperatively to address and solve problems on a regional basis.
- Make government a positive force in addressing community needs.
- Establish a community foundation for volunteerism and philanthropy.
- Recognize and address ethnic and racial diversity.
- Get the schools to include civic responsibility in their curriculum.
- Ensure that the local newspaper is an important vehicle for civic responsibility.
- Instill pride in the community.
- Sponsor activities to celebrate progress and participation.