We the people …

…gathered at the Season's Conference Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan, June 11-13, 2004, seeking to form a more perfect Union now in 21st Century America, declare:

• We cherish our country and the founding ideals and institutions on which it stands.

• We respect our differences and recognize America needs every one our viewpoints, ideas and passions – even those we don’t agree with – to keep our democracy vital and alive.

• We recognize that meeting here and across our land for dialogues across differences builds trust, understanding, respect and empowerment - the conditions necessary for freedom and democracy to live in us and around us.

• And therefore, each still grounded in our own considered views (conscience and convictions), we commit ourselves and our communities of interest to foster dialogue across the many divides in America, in large and small groups, to build trust, insight and inspired action towards the more perfect union we all desire.

• And we support the work of Let's Talk America and Democracy in America Project - and other efforts - to bring Americans into conversations that are inclusive, non-partisan, respectful and open - guided by hosts and ground rules that allow all the voices of "We the People" to be heard.

Signed this 13th day of June, 2004:

Bob Barr, Bob Barr Enterprises, Inc.

Joseph McCormick, Democracy in America Project

A. Lawrence Chickering, Project on Community Engagement and Education

Michael Toms, New Dimensions Foundation

Susan Partnow, Partnow Communications

Leif Utne, Utne Magazine

Carl A. Fillichio, The Council for Excellence in Government

Thomas F. Beech, Fetzer Institute

Mark Satin, Radical Middle Newsletter

Jeffrey B. Peters, We The People

Joseph Goldman, AmericaSpeaks

Virginia Sloan, The Constitution Project

Bill Thomson, Christian Coalition

Vicki Robin, Conversation Cafes

David Keene, American Conservative Union

Laura Chasin, Public Conversations Project

Mark Gerzon, Mediators Foundation

Shirley J. Wilcher, Wilcher Global, LLC

Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute

Pat Spino, Democracy in America Project

Marian S. Moore, Utne Institute/Let's Talk America

Julie A. Ristau, Utne Institute/Let's Talk America

Left conference early (no opportunity to sign):

Barbara Marx Hubbard, Foundation for Conscious Evolution

Gary Aldrich, The Patrick Henry Center

Tom Callanan, Fetzer Institute

Ethan Leib, Author, Deliberative Democracy in America

Zoe Schoenfeld, Legal Aid Society

Abstaining:

Donna Wiesner, BrainTrain