Discussions about Philadelphia politics are usually conducted in English, but Harris Sokoloff began one with a "ni-hao."
Sokoloff, director of Penn's Project on Civic Engagement, was greeting the members of a bilingual citizens' forum last weekend in Chinatown - part of a citywide initiative called Great Expectations, which aims to increase dialogue about local issues as the mayoral election approaches this fall.
The program - sponsored by the Fels Institute of Government and The Philadelphia Inquirer - hopes to gather the concerns of all Philadelphia community members and present the ideas developed through the project to the newly elected mayor and city council.
"The idea is that Philadelphia as a city may be addicted to some bad habits, and we have 12 steps to hopefully correct some of that," said Jacob Fisher, a Fels graduate student who is working on the project. "The main goal is to elevate the quality of dialogue in this year's mayoral race."
Citizen forums, which bring Philadelphians together in town-hall-style discussions, are the project's primary activity during January and February. About 30 forums will be conducted, including two near Penn's campus.
Chris Satullo, the Inquirer's editorial-page editor, said the citizen forums focus on small ideas, rather than sweeping reforms, and have produced some "little ideas that are just great."
Such ideas include SEPTA passes for students as well as discounts for Philadelphia residents at local cultural attractions.
Erika Kitzmiller, a Fels and School of Education graduate student who is working on the project, said that, while Great Expectations's success will ultimately be "dependent on how much candidates listen," it has already been successful in one aspect: Bringing citizens together and giving them a sense that "what they have to say matters."
Sokoloff agreed, and added that dramatic citizen involvement is what makes Great Expectations a unique and important civic-engagement initiative.
"I don't know of any other city doing it this way - not with so many citizen conversations," he said. "By getting citizens to be involved in these conversations, they will become more involved in politics [and] more engaged in the issues."
Organizers said they have attracted a large number of citizens to the forums thus far - the Chinatown forum drew over 50 people, and some forums have attracted as many as 90 - but it has been a challenge to find a sample that is representative of Philadelphia's diverse population.
"Some groups are so used to not being listened to," Sokoloff said. "We have to convince them that it's worth their time."
"Once they come out," he added, "it's easy to get them talking to each other."
Organizers said few students have attended the forums, but they hope upcoming forums located near universities will increase student participation.
"These issues that are implemented will be affecting [college students] for a much longer time," Fisher said. "If you want to stay in the city, it's important to know that your voice can be heard and make a difference."
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