SHORT DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP CONFERENCE

You’re invited to attend the

Civitas 2008 Issues Conference

Friday - Saturday, February 15-16, 2008

[Friday, 4:00 p.m. to Saturday, 3:30 p.m.]

Comfort Inn & Suites -  12031 Lackland Rd., St. Louis MO 63146

This year’s topic:

Active Citizenship: You CAN make a difference in the world…

and why the world needs you to do it.

Will 2008—a presidential election year of tremendous significance—bring another political cycle in which young people sit on the sidelines?  We hope not.

Unfortunately, statistics show that only a small percentage of young people are interested enough in local, national and global issues to do something about them. However, if you’re reading this, you’re probably among those who care and who want to engage in the process of change. 

The question is:  How can you be an “agent of change,” both now and in the future? And why is your involvement important? Every generation of adults seems to say the same thing: The future (of America / the world) lies in the hands of the youth of “today.” If that’s true, why isn’t the world getting better? Why does every generation feel the need to repeat this platitude? Some people say that America and the world are stuck in a cycle of ignorance and apathy, and that those in power continue to repeat the same mistakes, miscalculations and misjudgments that plagued every generation before them. Is that true? Is there something you can do to break that cycle?

At Civitas’ 2008 Issues Conference, you’ll examine these questions. You and other high-school students will start on your own, personal path toward active, effective citizenship by:

• Discussing the problems involved in making change happen;
• Examining the way current political, economic and social policies affect young people;
• Exploring the factors that make active citizenship hard to sustain into adulthood;
• Working together to devise real-world political, economic and social policies that would help empower young people;
• Creating action plans that would inspire other young people to become active citizens, too.

The conference will be serious, intense, and intellectually challenging. You’ll use skills in communication, research, collaboration, reasoning, conflict resolution and creative thinking. The conference is a place to learn, to be heard, to meet new people, to work collaboratively, and to add your ideas to an important discussion with worldwide implications.