People Speak - United States

Citizens are urged to get involved by organising a debate in their communities. Organisers are urged to convene 20-100 people at a convenient location (public library, university, restaurant, coffee shop, conference room, or community member's home) to participate in a discussion of USA foreign policy. A moderator and at least 2 panelists/debaters should be present to lead the discussion.

A debate kit is designed to ease the planning process. It includes the four resolutions proposed for debate, each of which addresses a different aspect of national security policy. Debate on these resolutions is intended to serve as the foundation for community discussion about strategic options ranging from unilateral preemption to multilateralism. The resolutions include: the legitimate use of force, non-military issues affecting U.S. national security interests, democracy promotion, and international institutions and norms. Accompanying the resolutions is a list of suggested pro and con arguments and a list of resources. The kit also includes sample letters for soliciting debaters and moderators, sample press and promotion materials, and guidelines for the format of the debate. This kit is available for free download on the Join the Debate website. This site also features a map indicating planned activities happening in and around communities across the United States.

Modest funds are available upon request to help finance these events.

Political Development.

President Bush laid out his administration's thinking about American security policy in September 2002, in The National Security Strategy of the United States of America. Too often, organisers say, debate about key issues like those outlined in this document is confined to a small policy elite. In an effort to broaden the debate, in summer 2003 the United Nations Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Open Society Institute funded a report of the Council on Foreign Relations that describes three different approaches to security policy, ranging from unilateral preemption to multilateralism. The People Speak uses that report as a springboard to stimulate a national dialogue rooted in local community events.