The People Speak

Once again The People Speak will bring thoughtful discussion and debate about foreign policy to hundreds of thousands of Americans and foreign citizens in their schools, churches, universities, clubs, homes, and civic organizations. This year's discussion will focus on what is perhaps the United States' most important foreign policy consideration: its leadership and membership in the United Nations.

From September 1 to November 30, 2005, you can join participants across the United States and even around the world in this effort. Register on The People Speak Web site and gain access to all the materials you need to host a discussion with your friends, colleagues, neighbors, or students.

Building a Safer World: Can America and the UN Work Together?

Participants will address this question in one of four topic areas:

• Poverty, Hunger, and Health

• War and Conflict

• Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism

• The Environment

The History

The People Speak was launched in October 2003 to raise the level of national dialogue about America's role in the world. The project was made possible by a nonpartisan coalition of organizations committed to fostering open-minded discussion on critical global issues. In its first year, The People Speak was hailed as a success by newspapers such as The Boston Globe, which commented, "Politicians take note. Pundits take note. And—most important—citizens take note, for there's a reasoned conversation to be had." The project resulted in more than 2,500 discussions in all fifty states.

In 2004, The People Speak broadened the extent of thoughtful discussion on foreign affairs by sponsoring more than 4,000 grassroots events and hosting 24 signature events with ABC News that featured foreign policy experts from across the political spectrum. With the assistance of the National Forensic League, The People Speak succeeded in bringing together diverse communities—local clubs and organizations were paired with high school debate teams at 250 events.

The Future

In 2005, The People Speak will bring balanced discussion to a vital foreign policy topic: the United Nations. In September—to celebrate the United Nations' 60th year—world leaders will come together at a summit in New York to review progress since the Millennium Declaration, a set of development goals adopted by UN member states in 2000. This review will address how the United Nations can best bring about a safer, healthier, more prosperous world.

The People Speak 2005 will employ technology to better connect concerned participants with events, foreign policy materials, our tool kit, and each other. The new People Speak Web site will enable users to download all the materials needed to host a well-informed discussion, including articles and publications from sponsoring organizations. The online tools will empower organizers to share what happened at their events and invite others to join them for future discussions. Register to stay on top of the latest developments!