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We have about 24 hours for more comments on the topics. Some of the topics haven’t gotten much response, so if there’s a topic there that intrigues, excites, or animates you, then let’s hear it!

I’ve been impressed with the quality and quantity of comments on the topic posts here at DeBlog. However, I know that not everyone has posted a comment, and I think that it is important that everyone’s voice is heard. (This is one of the benefits of blogging and information technology generally, right? Publication of one’s thoughts is no longer limited to those who own a newspaper or radio / tv station!)

While participating in the winnowing down of the topics is intrinsically valuable, I recognize that incentives for participation are always good.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to announce the first Prize Patrol contest here at DeBlog: the person with the most consistently high quality and quantity of comments on the ten topics posts below will win an opportunity to receive a Super Secret, Super Special prize directly from Pittsburgh, PA. That’s right–a prize, and it will be awesome.

So get commenting!

Greetings, Ben Franklin fellows, teachers, mentors, and kite-flyers! I’ll be joining you in Winston-Salem on Monday, July 17 for the final stretch of the workshop, Bridging Differences through Public Argument, where we will study seven of the world’s pressing issues and perform public argument interventions (amplified through podcasts and Weblogs) designed to enrich online discussion on those topics. In the coming days, you will find more details on the project unveiled here at the DeBlog. But for now, we need your help in narrowing down the list of topic areas we will tackle from a preliminary list of 10 to a final list of 7.

You can help by giving comments on any or all of the 10 preliminary topic areas (listed in the following threads). As you look at each topic area, think about the following questions, and if you have ideas to contribute, please add them into the comment section:

* Are you interested in this subject? Should it be included in the final list of 7 topic areas that we will explore during the final week of the workshop?

* Are there specific aspects of the topic area that you think are especially important to understand and discuss?

* What do you think is the current quality of public dialogue on the topic area?

* Can you recommend resources (books, articles, speeches, movies, songs, poems, etc.) that would be helpful for studying the topic area?

* What sort of public dialogue do you think might be helpful for the world to better understand and deal with the issues related to the topic area?

Thanks in advance for your input! On Tuesday, July 11, we will compile all the input from the comment sections and announce the final list of 7 topic areas here at the DeBlog.

How can the United States and Europe work together to address security issues posed by Iran’s nuclear program? Iran has argued that they have the right to develop their nuclear research program for peaceful ends, but many countries fear that their program is actually a cover for developing nuclear weapons. Is the current approach to resolving tensions with Iran working? Are there more fruitful alternatives?

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russians have had a roller coaster ride toward political and economic reform. But signs of growing authoritarianism coupled with a weak economy, persistent corruption, and social ills including growing HIV/AIDS, raise questions about the possibility of Russia “backsliding.” What is the appropriate role of Russia in world and regional affairs? Can the international community do anything to help Russia consolidate democracy?

Should Turkey’s integration into the Europe be accelerated? Such an acceleration poses risks and rewards: does anchoring a predominantly Muslim country in Europe present any examples for democratization in the Middle East? Given the economic gap with the EU, what are potentially destabilizing economic and social issues to be addressed? What are the cultural and diplomatic impacts of a strengthened relationship between Turkey and the rest of Europe? What role can the Turkish communities already living in Europe play?

How can the international community manage China’s influence on the global economy? Critics in the United States have blamed outsourcing,deflationary pressure on wages, declines in worker’s rights, and a shift in manufacturing jobs on the cheap labor that China can provide. Are their accusations fair, or are they just politically expedient “China-bashing”? Can China be integrated successfully into the world economy and at the same time respect the rules of the world trading system?

How can international development assistance be improved? For years, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have guided attempts to raise the fortunes of the needy, with mixed results. Can development assistance programs be tweaked, or should they be abandoned entirely? What are the priorities for development assistance: poverty reduction, disease prevention, education, democracy promotion, or reducing the rich-poor gap?

What can the United States and Europe learn from each others’ experiences with immigration? Immigration poses central questions about belonging, citizenship, culture, and identity, as well as engaging serious issues about economic gains and losses. How can the tensions that immigration sparks be more profitably managed?

What should be done to alleviate the growing energy crisis worldwide? Prices are
increasing, supplies are dwindling, and more countries, like China and India are using
more energy, and some countries use energy exports as a political tool. Is the “West”
addicted to oil? Has the cost of this addiction finally gotten too high, both in actual price, and political and social costs? How can energy-intensive economies be weaned from oil and coal, and to seek sustainable energy sources?