Michelle Fure
St. Paul, MN - USA
www.e-democracy.org

Biography:

Michelle Fure has been volunteering with Minnesota E-Democracy for the past five years, most recently managing the St. Paul Issues Forum. A long-time supporter of participation in government and civic engagement, she first became involved in online discussions following the invitation of a friend and hasn’t turned back. A former journalist, Michelle has a strong desire to enhance public information and discussion regarding issues of government and public policy. The technology of the Internet provides a powerful tool to connect everyday citizens and allow them to be players in the decisions policymakers will make.

In addition to serving as the St. Paul forum manager, Michelle participates in the E-Democracy strategic planning team. She also recent helped edit the E-Democracy.Org "Local Issues Forum Guidebook,” compiled as part of an effort to launch local issues forums in the United Kingdom.

Michelle currently works for the state of Minnesota as an information officer and public information coordinator. She previously worked for the nonpartisan Public Information Office in the Minnesota House of Representatives as a writer and editor. An alumna of the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts, Michelle began her career as a newspaper reporter in Sioux Falls, S.D., Washington, D.C., and the Twin Cities.

What's a recent movie you've seen and enjoyed and why?

Batman Begins. I have to say, I don’t normally go for the blockbusters, but the reviews on this one drew me in. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this film, not because of the comic book/mythology associated, but because it’s really well written, well acted, and a great character-driven drama. Who knew? Christopher Nolan, director of Memento, a great mind-bending drama from the early ‘90s, does it again with this one.

What is "community" and why is it important to you?

To me, community means two things: your immediate neighborhood, where you live and work and go about your day-to-day life, and the extended community of the people you care about – family and close friends. Your immediate community will greatly affect your life and will provide a direct impact, but your extended community will also have a significant impact on how you see the world and your perceptions of how the world works. In both cases, you want to see positives – good homes, good schools, good job opportunities, thriving businesses, engaged neighbors. The only difference between immediate community and extended community is that an individual will most likely only be motivated to act in his or her own immediate community – volunteering, helping a neighbor, paying attention to economic development, attending community meetings. I am fortunate to both live and work in my immediate community, and I feel both a sense of responsibility to be a steward of my community’s resources and a desire to see my neighbors, co-workers, and my own family prosper there. There are other ways to define community, too, but these are the ones that resonate most clearly with me.

Pick a favorite technology and explain how it makes the world a better place?

I love blogging. As a former journalist, I think blogging is the most interesting technology trend going today. (I know it’s not technically a technology, but it is a direct result of internet technology.) While it gives voice to groups who may otherwise not have found a place in the mainstream media – in some cases for good reason – it also allows officials to connect more directly with constituents. Public officials who are using blogs to discuss their decision-making process and lay bare some of their own conflicts over issues are really changing the way we view policymakers, from whom most of the public feels so detached. It is so authentic and unfiltered, which I find refreshing in comparison to the way media provide pro and con in an almost pre-packaged format.

2-3 questions or issues that you hope we'll address at the "Deepening Online Deliberation" meeting?

I really have no pre-conceived notions about the conference. I think it’s simply a wonderful opportunity in my community to connect with others who are also interested in leveraging the Internet as a way to change public discourse. I’m looking to understand the methods employed elsewhere, both in the U.S. and abroad, and also interested in the positives and negatives they have encountered in their efforts.