The first new initiative will launch this year to train leaders to promote best practices for religious freedom in local public schools. In the past, we have made an effort to educate local schools about issues of religious freedom by providing information to district superintendents, administrators, school boards and the public. This year, we will expand this effort by creating a religious freedom institute that will provide leadership training and a toolkit to community members, school faculty, administrators, students, and parents who want to participate in local policy decisions and hold their schools to the highest standards. The toolkit will include information about significant court rulings that help define our First Amendment protections as they pertain to religious freedom issues, such as the teaching of evolution, prayer in schools, the flag salute, and more. In addition, it will offer practical suggestions for an all-inclusive learning environment as well as ways to ways to work with school officials so potential concerns can be quickly addressed.
           
Clergy Roundtable

 

Our second new initiative, to start next year, is the creation of a Clergy Roundtable. The roundtable will be a coalition of local clergy and religious leaders who are concerned with issues of religious freedom and desire to maintain the separation of church and state. We envision the Clergy Roundtable maturing and developing over time, and would like to encourage Freedom Watch readers to extend an invitation to interested clergy or contact us with names of potential candidates.

           
In addition to these exciting new projects, Citizens Project will continue to be a leader in local nonpartisan voter education, including in the upcoming April election. Already, many important local issues are projected to be on the April ballot, and several candidates are running for local office. Citizens Project will engage and inform the community by publishing a Candidate Survey Voter Guide. We will also hold a ballot initiative and candidate forum prior to the election so the public can ask questions and hear issues openly discussed. This election may prove especially crucial because it will be mail-in ballot only, meaning voters will not have the opportunity to vote at a designated election site but will be required to vote through mail-in ballot. Throughout the election season and legislative session, watch for Activist Alerts to inform you about important ballot measures and candidates that will impact you and your community. To sign up for email Activist Alerts visit our Web site at citizensproject.org. And contact us to get involved at action@citizensproject.org
 
2008 Achievements

Our enthusiasm about this year's changes and programs can only be matched by our excitement over last year's accomplishments. Citizens Project was able to promote community engagement last year through a variety of measures. November's historic presidential election increased the level of community interest in politics and current events, and Citizens Project responded by creating education and civic engagement opportunities for the community. In October, we cosponsored a ballot initiative and candidate forum with the Colorado Springs Independent newspaper, which was attended by over 100 people. We also hosted an election forum on behalf of the Colorado C3 Roundtable, a state coalition of progressive non-profits, which featured local ballot measures. In response to concerns about the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's office's ability to ensure a fair and unbiased election, Citizens Project also worked with the Independent to cosponsor an Election Protection Town Hall Meeting. This well-attended meeting was an open forum where citizens were able to express concerns about the upcoming election and have their questions addressed by a representative from the clerk's office. In addition, CP produced a candidate survey and ballot initiative voter guide. In an effort to remain accessible to the largest number of voters possible, this guide was available in Spanish and English and was published in Springs Magazine, the Independent and Hispania News.
           
Last year's election held significance on both a local and national level, and Citizens Project continued to act as a voice for the community. We took positions on four important ballot measures and played a lead role in defeating Amendment 46, a deceptively-worded measure that would have eliminated equal opportunity programs in Colorado. During the legislative session, CP lobbied to preserve voting rights by opposing proof of citizenship requirements to register to vote and formed the El Paso County Voting Rights Coalition to help defeat this legislation. We also empowered hundreds of citizen activists to speak out in favor of SB 200, which expanded protection from discrimination in public housing and accommodations to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender status.
          
A highlight of 2008 was Citizens Project's annual Divine Award Celebration, which honored the achievements of Lorne Kramer. On February 12, the 2009 Divine Award will honor Richard Skorman, and we invite all Freedom Watch readers to attend. We also saw an impressive attendance of over 400 CP supporters at our annual Creating Community Breakfast last summer, which encouraged community interaction and raised a record $67,000, enabling us to continue our work in the community.
           
We feel confident that the changes for Citizens Project  will result in a positive outcome for the community. We are excited to continue our vital work in the coming year and are grateful for the support of our volunteers, donors and friends. To learn more about Citizens Project, or to get involved in our activities in 2009, we encourage you to visit our Web site at citizensproject.org.