iCitizenForum by Colonial Williamsburg

Citizenship Declaration - Group D (Powell House)

Draft "Declaration of Citizenship in the 21st Century," in association with Dialogues in Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Presented for Debate in the House of Burgesses, Williamsburg, Va., November 11, 2007.

We, the delegates of Powell Group D, resolve to reclaim the ideal of a citizen with both rights and responsibilities. These include:

1. Citizens have the right to accurate, accessible, and material information and the responsibility to be informed.

To this element, three delegates dissented, noting that the existing rights were sufficient to achieve these goals.

2. We reaffirm that citizens have the right to privacy, specifically to their personal, biological, and digital information, which are subject to due process. Citizens also have the responsibility to exercise care in its use.

To this element, a dissenting opinion was offered, with the reason that this right does not serve to promote better citizenship.

3. Citizens have the right to be able to access education, they have the responsibility to avail oneself of that right.

4. We encourage the practice of such civic virtues as: civility, civic engagement, moderation, mutual respect and integrity.