At 9:00am February 16, 2002, former U.S, Senator Mike Gravel banged the gavel and called to order the first Democracy Symposium, dedicated to Edwin and Joyce Koupal of People's Lobby, thereby launching his campaign to enact the National Initiative for Democracy to establish a "Legislature of the People." With the backdrop of historic Williamsburg to remind the participants of America's democratic origins, the Symposium attracted journalists, political consultants, academics and initiative activists from as far away as London and Alaska. Mr. Brian Beedham, an editor of The Economist, the British-based international news magazine, presented a paper outlining the successful 140 year Swiss experience with its similar brand of direct democracy. He was joined by Gregory Fossedal of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institute in drawing parallels between Switzerland and the United States.

An ebullient Senator Gravel said " I couldn't be more happy with the turnout. The Symposium has brought together the best and the brightest of professionals in the realm of constitutional law, political science and related fields to help us forge a document that the American people will enthusiastically embrace when the election for the National Initiative begins later this year." The Senator continued "We are confident that within seven years -- the length of the election -- a Legislature of the People will be established in America and an excited electorate will be ready to go to work. We are determined to succeed and we will."

The Symposium was characterized by spirited discussions, both esoteric and practical, where the theoretical and the real searched for common ground. Every sentence and concept embodied in the Democracy Amendment to the Constitution and the Democracy Act -- the complementary components of the National Initiative -- was subject to critical analysis by panelists and participants from the floor. Emerging from this dialog, several opportunities to strengthen and clarify the National Initiative were identified. A task force comprised of members of The Democracy Foundation and Symposium participants is being formed to revise the document this spring. The first draft revisions to the Amendment and Act were expected to be published on February 25, 2002 and will be viewable at http://ni4d.org/amendment.htm and http://ni4d.org/act.htm, respectively.

Panelists and registrants alike were enthusiastic about the conduct and outcome of the Symposium. One of the panelists noted that "…the Symposium was exceptionally well organized and had attracted a substantial number of new and important players to the movement. One of the great achievements of the Symposium was to gather and showcase a group of the highest quality, articulate and extremely influential legal scholars who are willing to forcefully advance the position that we the People can amend the Constitution...with a sound legal, philosophical and historical basis."

The entire Symposium was recorded. The Democracy Foundation has produced audio tape and Compact Disc (CD) recordings of the proceedings. These are available for a modest fee. Video recordings may be available later. Those interested in obtaining these recordings should e-mail cd@demofound.org.

Those interested in reading the papers presented at the Symposium can find them in full text here .