On May 9, 2018, the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) will host A Public Voice 2018 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. A panel will discuss outcomes from early forums on the issue of immigration reform. A more complete report later in the year will draw from forums that will be held throughout the coming months. The 9:30-11:30 a.m., Eastern Time, panel discussion will be livestreamed on Facebook , where viewers will be welcome to post their comments.

The A Public Voice 2018 event will also feature discussions about the potential of creating future discussion materials about diviseness in public life.

The following is a description of the A Public Voice 2018 event from the Kettering Foundation's newsletter, News and Notes.

A Public Voice 2018, Kettering's annual event that brings together policymakers and practitioners of deliberative democracy from around the country to discuss the work of citizen deliberations and how policymakers and citizens might align, will take place May 9 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This year, A Public Voice will focus on how the public thinking that is emerging from National Issues Forums on immigration (among other issues) differs from the public opinion data usually available to policymakers. Gary Paul, a National Issues Forums institute director and professor at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, will moderate the exchange among members of a roundtable that will include:

• John Doble, Kettering Foundation senior associate and contributing editor of the Coming to America issue guide
• Jean Johnson, National Issues Forums Institute vice president for moderator development and communications and contributor to the Coming to America report
• Alberto Olivas, executive director, Pastor Center for Politics and Public Service, Arizona State University
• Virginia York, National Issues Forums moderator, Panama City, Florida
• Oliver Schwab, chief of staff, Rep. David S. Schweickert 
• Mischa Thompson, senior policy advisor, US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
• Adam Hunter, former director, immigration and the states project, Pew Charitable Trusts
• Betsy Wright Hawkings, program director, governance initiative, Democracy Fund

The roundtable will also discuss divisiveness in American public life as a potential subject for a future NIF issue guide and forum series.  

The event will be livestreamed via Facebook Live. We want to hear from you about topics, such as how difficult it can be to talk across divides in this country; what those divides look like in your communities; and how you think elected officials could help citizens bridge these divides. Your comments will be part of the live event in DC. Join the Facebook event to receive updates on when and how to participate.