About Us
The David Mathews Center builds on the life and work of David Mathews. That life and work aims at understanding what it takes to make democracy work as it should. The current Center is descended from a Community Leadership Development Institute conducted by the University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Shelton State Community College, and other partners.
This institute was one of a number created across the nation to further effective use of citizen decision aids prepared by the National Issues Forums Institute. In 2005, the Alabama Center for Civic Life was created as a 501(c)(3), tax exempt entity to continue this work. In late 2007, the Center was renamed in honor of David Mathews.
As a 501(c)(3), the Center does not engage in lobbying, political campaigns, or endorsement of candidates. Its purpose is to develop and foster infrastructure and habits for more effective deliberative decision making by citizens and their communities. Focusing on the areas of education, economic development, public policy, and public health, the following DMC programs accomplish this purpose by:
- conducting Alabama Issues Forums (AIF),
- providing workshops on Coaching Community Innovation (CCI),
- developing joint educational programs with American Village (AV), and
- sponsoring annual Citizens’ Congresses (CC) to share results of AIF and parallel efforts.
In all our efforts, we seek to work with entities with shared purposes.
What We Do
The David Mathews Center works with communities and organizations fostering citizen engagement and deliberative decision making. The Mathews Center strives to stimulate citizen engagement in public policy making.
Signature Assumptions
- Political problems are primarily problems of working relationships.
- The biggest challenge to any community is the capacity of its citizens to make effective decisions together across the range of issues they face.
- Civic life in a democracy means citizens must take responsibility for making hard choices and must develop infrastructure and practices that enable them to do so.
Signature Principles of Operation
- Non-partisan, wholeness of examination, not piecemeal solutions.
- Not an advocate, engagement across differences, not persuasion of a particular view.
- Non-directive, coaching and enabling community decision making, not consulting.
- Cooperative, partnerships with other institutions and networks, not competition.