Wednesday, October 5th 2016
Moderated by Jeff Golden with questions from Ashland citizens
Ashland Mayor & City Council Candidate Forum
Local Media Coverage:
The Ashland Oregon Candidates Forum, October 5, 2016 - Sponsored by the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission (ACPC). This Candidates Forum is a historic first with the framework of a Culture of Peace engaging candidates for mayor and the city council. This is 28 minutes of the original 90 minute Forum filmed by ACPC and Peace Production.
Testimonials:
“I think there is so much potential in this idea the Culture of Peace Commission put forward. I believe it has the potential to make a much needed improvement in the tone of our political discussions. How people talk to each other, how candidates answer citizen's questions, have to be one of the cornerstones of building a meaningful culture of peace in a community. Thanks for doing it - it was one of the very best highlights of an otherwise troubling election cycle.”
— Dennis Slatter, Ashland City Council Candidate, Position 1
“I have to admit that I didn’t know what to expect, as this format was set up to be quite different from any other forum in the election cycle. But it was one of my favorite events overall. The engagement from the audience, the participation and questions… the pursuit of understanding. I was really impressed. I hope that this forum continues for future elections, and possibly lives on in forums for elected officials once in office.“
— Martin Kamenski, Ashland City Council Candidate, Position 3
“The turnout and atmosphere of keen interest and attention suggests there is a deep and broad hunger for the kind of alternative we’re striving to provide. What we saw was an immense amount of potential support for ACPC’s efforts. Segments at the beginning and end that draw out the People’s Voice are a big step towards a Culture of Peace.”
— Jeff Golden, ACPC Forum Moderator
This is the first full election since the launch of the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission about a year ago, and it has some of us working with ACPC curious: what would an election that embodies a culture of peace look like?
We’re aiming to make this forum one of the most encouraging and upbeat civic events Ashland’s ever had, and when you’re creating an energetically different model, it’s hard to know exactly how to pull that off.
It calls for the creativity of more than just a few organizers. It calls to all of us with an affectionate concern for our city, an interest in elections, and a deep, if not wholly clear, knowing that politics can line up with our highest values much more closely than what we’re witnessing.
All or most of the questions asked at the forum will come from Ashland citizens. Candidates will be asked 3-5 questions. The purpose of the forum is (1) generate respect among opponents and a genuine curiosity about what those with different views are thinking, and (2) shed light on what candidates would work on as mayor or councilors to advance a culture of peace in Ashland.
What would you ask the people who want to govern Ashland in order to discover how committed they are to a culture of peace in our community and to learn what they see themselves doing with their authority if they win?
​
Find out more about the candidates!
Please help spread the word to your networks.
This is a link to the Facebook Event Invitation:
https://www.facebook.com/events/665747336913768/
Ashland Culture of Peace Commission Vision & Values:
A WORLD THAT WORKS FOR ALL!
​
Vision: A community-wide movement dedicated to transforming our attitudes, behaviors and institutions into ones that foster harmonious relationships with each other and the natural world.
Values:
✥ Brings heart and compassion to conversations, decision-making, and systems.
✥ Recognizes the inherent value of each person, the diversity within community.
✥ Invites everyone’s participation, relying on the natural gifts of each community member.
✥ Encourages mutual respect so that all residents and visitors feel safe, heard, and empowered.
✥ Establishes trust through holding all persons responsible for their actions.
✥ Employs compassionate listening to air feelings, viewpoints, and concerns.
✥ Discovers solutions through collaborative exploration.
✥ Emphasizes the universal values of kindness, generosity, love and beauty, caring and curiosity.
✥ Seeks larger truths and broader perspectives to better comprehend local and world affairs.
✥ Values and nurtures all of life, honoring the environment and promoting humanity’s balanced place in the web of existence.
✥ Builds upon the foundation of existing groups contributing to the wellness of the world.
✥ Creates an emerging, evolving, living model for thriving together as fellow humans.