My dream for my community is that people have a strong and permanent voice in government.

After Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans came together in unprecedented ways and, in the process, became aware of their power as citizens. Citizen Participation’s goal is to create a mechanism that builds on that community spirit and enables people to make decisions at the neighborhood level about how to rebuild the city. The program will make special effort to reach out to poor and displaced citizens. The ultimate goal is to present a citizen-designed plan for formal, permanent citizen participation for passage by the New Orleans City Council.

“This project will create a permanent mechanism for the people of New Orleans to have a formal, accountable voice in city government policies and decisions,” said Keith. “It will…ensure that citizens are forever empowered to determine their own quality of life.”