RE: "ordinary" citizens info needs

[patricia bonner <bonner.patricia>]

Thanks you for your statement.  As a person who has been involved
in my own communities from San Diego to Troy, NY and someone who
has attempted to do outreach and public involvement from the local 
to the international scale, I can attest to your thought that 
people get involved when it's local.  It is hard to find a hook
for people when they don't see a direct link to something tangible
and locally visible.   How can we use the Internet information 
resources to help build greater individual civic responsibility
and interest, and to involve local people in issues beyond their
street, ward, school district or precinct? Partnering with local
groups and interesting students help, but is there something
fundamental that we should use information on the Internet to help 
lead  change?  What tools are out there already or do we need to
develop?  Is providing online "training" using materials we 
already have packaged for nontechnical people something to 
think about?    How can libraries and other community centers
work to build awareness and move people to action?     pat