California Speaks!

This coming Saturday, August 11, thousands of Californians will gather across the state to participate in a 21st century version of a town hall meeting on healthcare reform in California.

CaliforniaSpeaks is a project of AmericaSpeaks, a non-profit organization that facilitates meaningful conversation and the means for direct citizen participation in decision making. On Saturday, randomly selected participants will gather in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside-San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland-San Francisco, and Humboldt County to talk about the major healthcare proposals in California. Technology will allow this large group to share ideas, and ultimately come up with a proposal to present to the Governor and state Legislature. The different venues will be connected by video links. Watch the video below for a great overview of how the system of wireless laptops, video technology and trained facilitators will work to give all participants a voice in the process.



The discussions will be broadcast on The California Channel beginning at 9am on Saturday. This $4.2 million dollar project is being underwritten by the California Endowment, the California Wellness Foundation and the Blue Shield of California Foundation. If you're interested in facilitating or volunteering this weekend, go to CaliforniaSpeaks and sign up to help.