Second Conference on Democracy in America, December 2005

in
Thursday, 2005, December 1 - 6:00pm - Sunday, 2005, December 4 - 12:00pm

“A Trans-Partisan Leadership Retreat”
Gold Lake Mountain Resort and Spa, Ward, Colorado

RETREAT PURPOSE

According to Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835 author of Democracy in America, political and civil associations are the guarantors of freedom in a democracy. The three day gathering December 1-4 among leaders of national political and civil associations -- approximately 1/3 generally perceived to be left of center, 1/3 generally perceived to be right of center, and 1/3 generally perceived to be unaligned -- was intended to build bridges of trust, respect and communication by engaging in facilitated dialogue about the values that unite us as Americans, and areas of mutual concern and potential transpartisan cooperation.

PARTICIPANTS (representing over 70 million Americans)

John Rother, Director of Policy and Strategy, AARP
Robert Spanogle, National Adjutant, American Legion
Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform
Betsy Taylor, President, Center for a New American Dream
Roberta Combs, President, Christian Coalition
Ana Micka, President, Citizens for Health
Dave Keating, Executive Director, Club for Growth
Chellie Pingree, President, Common Cause
Joseph McCormick, Co-founder, Democracy in America Project
Pat Spino, Co-founder, Democracy in America Project
Irma Herrera, Executive Director, Equal Rights Advocates
Tom Beech, President, Fetzer Institute
William Ury, Director, Global Negotiation Project, Harvard Law School
Cheryl Graeve, Senior Director, Membership, League of Woman Voters
Michael Ostrolenk, Founder, Liberty Coalition
Mark Gerzon, President, Mediators Foundation
Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder, Meetup.com
Joan Blades, Co-Founder, MoveOn.org
Ahmed Younis, Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council
Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Assoc. General Secretary, National Council of Churches USA
Susan Hackley, Managing Director, Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School
Robert Fersh, Executive Director, Search for Common Ground USA
Maggie Fox, Deputy Executive Director, Sierra Club
Drew Bond, President, Townhall.com
John Steiner, Transpartisan networker