League of Women Voters Event

The League of Women Voters of South Bend and the American Democracy Project at IU South Bend will host a forum on openness in government from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 18, in Room 1001, Wiekamp Hall, Indiana University South Bend.

“Looking for the Sunshine” is a national League of Women Voters Education Fund project to broaden public awareness about the issues involved in and the threats to accountability and transparency in government.

“Finding out how the government is serving the public is not always easy, and in a post-9/11 age, the challenges are even greater,” said local LWV president Julie Elliott.

The local league is one of 14 leagues nationwide that will be hosting community discussions during “Sunshine Week 2006 (March 12-18). The week aims to stimulate public discussion about why open government is important to everyone and why it is under challenge today.

A variety of scholars will present their thoughts about the importance and challenges of government openness in democratic societies. The speakers will be John Lewis, professor emeritus, political science, IU South Bend; Jonathan Nashel, associate professor of history and Cold War historian, IU South Bend; and Karen Davis of the Indiana Commission on Public Records.

Each panelist will speak for about 20 minutes, followed by 50 minutes of small group discussion and closing with a question and answer session.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

For more information about the “Looking for the Sunshine” event, contact Professor Elizabeth A. Bennion, campus director of the American Democracy Project, IU South Bend, at (574) 520-4128 or e-mail to ebennion@iusb.edu/.

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