Coordinator
Coordinating Committee
Volunteers
Summit Partners & Participants
I. Coordinator
The first step you should take in organizing your Community Summit is to designate a
responsible and experienced Coordinator. This person will be the main point of
contact between your Community Summit organization and the Coalition for Citizen
Diplomacy. The Coordinator should be given the following responsibilities:
- Serve as the main point of contact between the Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy and your community and between the Coordinating Committee and your local, state and national elected representatives.
- Establish a Coordinating Committee to plan, implement and follow-up on the Summit.
- Complete the ONLINE EVALUATION of the Community Summit after its completion. The data and feedback the Coordinator submits via the Online Evaluation will be used by the Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy for a National Report on the Future of Citizen Diplomacy that will be issued at the National Summit in July 2006.
One of the Coordinator's first tasks should be to establish a Coordinating Committee. The Coordinating Committee will be responsible for planning and overseeing all aspects of the Community Summit and its follow-up. The Committee should ideally include individuals with an interest in promoting international engagement at the local level and who represent, or are affiliated with, a broad diversity of institutions and organizations. These individuals should bring to the Committee a variety of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives. When assembling the Committee, consider the talents, interests, special abilities, contacts, resources, availability and the overall contribution that each individual can make to the team.
After you have identified the members of the Coordinating Committee, you should clearly define the responsibilities for each member - preferably at your first meeting. Before doing so, we recommend the members of the Committee:
- Understand the purposes and goals of the Summit initiative.
- Read the toolkit.
- Identify the main tasks the Coordinating Committee will undertake.
- Create a timeline for accomplishing tasks related to the Summit.
- Assign specific tasks and responsibilities to each member of the Coordinating Committee. These may include:
- Chair (may be the Coordinator)
- Secretary (for recording meetings, correspondence, etc)
- Media/Public Outreach (work with the local media for pre-Summit publicity; coverage of Summit; post-Summit reporting; provide information to the public on the event)
- Logistics (includes arrangements for event site and space, food and beverages, equipment rental, materials, hand-outs, etc.)
- Recruitment of volunteers to assist with Summit organization and mplementation
- Recruitment of a keynote speaker(s)/panelists
- Invitations (draw up list; send out invitations; take RSVPs)
- Fundraising (the Chair may wish to handle this important responsibility)
The success of the event will depend upon the experience, commitment and energy of many volunteers working together under the leadership of the Coordinating Committee. You may want to consider recruiting volunteers from groups listed in Section IV of this section. Depending on the format you choose (See section III of the Toolkit), your Coordinating Committee may choose to recruit the following volunteers:
- Moderator. This person will be responsible for managing the discussion sessions, focusing the large group discussion, and ensuring that the meeting follows the agenda. The moderator will be responsible for opening the Summit, explaining the purpose and goals of the event, and keeping the event on schedule.
- Small group discussion leaders. Depending on the format you choose, small group facilitators are very useful in guiding discussions among participants. They would be responsible for encouraging participants to share their perspectives and ideas, keeping the discussion focused, and arriving at a consensus on small group action ideas.
- Volunteers for set-up and breakdown. In addition to agreeing to get their "hands dirty," these volunteers should be available to arrive at the event at least one hour prior to the start time and stay after the event to break down all tables, chairs, collect materials, return equipment, clean up refreshments, etc.
- Photographer. While it is not necessary to hire a professional photographer, try to identify a volunteer photographer who is comfortable with a camera (preferably digital) and has a good eye for capturing an event in action. The media coordinator should give instructions to the photographer regarding the types of photos the Committee would like to have from the event. Your photos can be used in news stories, for local publicity and outreach to new recruits, and for assisting the Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy in advocating at the national level. The photographer should have no other responsibilities than to take pictures at the Summit.
IV. Summit Partners & Participants
Community Summits offer an opportunity for you to reach out to individuals and organizations that may not have previously been involved in international programs. This might include youth groups, immigrant communities, faith-based organizations, and other civic organizations whose primary focus may not be international. Information about other potential partners may be available through your mayor's office, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, county executive's office, or community colleges and universities in your area. Your state's website may have names of national and state groups with local chapters in your community.
When looking for potential partners and invitees, you might consider the following
- Diversity. Try to include groups with various interests, backgrounds (including ethnic and religious), talents and professional experience, and from various age groups (high school, college, young adult, retired persons and seniors).
- Service groups (Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, Junior League, Lions, Women's Clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, League of Women Voters, and athletic clubs).
- Business and Industry groups (Chambers of Commerce, Women in Business, labor unions, farmers, small business owners, and other employers from the community).
- Professional associations(lawyers, doctors, economists, social workers).
- Educational groups(local universities and community colleges, trade schools, language institutes, teachers, international exchange organizations).
- Ethnic and cultural organizations (NAACP, Hispanic Unidas, La Raza, African American Heritage Council, Asian Americans United, Native American and other ethnic cultural groups, immigrant organizations and advocates).
- Faith-based organizations (local/state Council of Churches, representatives from religious groups, especially those active internationally and with minority or immigrant populations).
- Senior citizens/retirement groups (veterans groups, retirement communities, Senior Citizen Centers).
- Advocacy groups (human rights, peace and disarmament, environmental, public health).