Contact Name: Chris Gyorgy, cgyorgy@denverlibrary.org
Type of Initiative: Civic Engagement  

Description:

• An interactive listening tour inspired by the idea of individual voices raised up for the good of community.It will take place in Denver throughout 2017. The project was designed as a way to allow citizens a voice in their own communities and to offer them a chance to feel a connection to community leaders and exercise their right to free speech.

• Every Voice Counts is a postcard writing project that highlights raising one's voice in a world determined not to hear. Right now, each of us has an opportunity to speak up or play silent witness to the world as it is -- locally and globally. And each day, we have a chance to use our voices and thoughtful words to make a difference. Our project will do just that -- Every Voice Counts (EVC) will use art and writing to engage our citizens and encourage individuals to use their voice as an agent of change. Every Voice Counts helps empower the less empowered.

• Community Engagement team members will be hosting Every Voice Counts at events around the city where guests can learn about the project. Here’s how it works: Denver Public Library will commission local artists to create artworks inspired by the phrase 'Every Voice Counts' but uniquely their own (the first postcard designed by artist Kenny Be, is ready to go and the second image, designed by Casey Kawaguchi, will come off the presses very soon). These postcards will be used as a main talking point at various cultural events in metro Denver where guests can learn about the artwork, the artist and the inspiration for each piece. Visitors to the booth will be given a prompt - a timely question or subject or idea and encouraged to write a postcard they can choose to have sent to the Mayor, the Governor or the City Librarian. (We will ask postcard authors to keep their civic discourse civil.) It’s a chance for our citizenry to lift up their voices, let out a “yipp” or “yopp” -- in the spirit of contributing to the common good and community growth. And it can be an important reminder to all of us that libraries have always been protectors of free speech.

• Every Voice Counts debuted at International Games Day in November of 2016. We have hosted our EVC booth at several community events since. And on Saturday, Feb. 25, Every Voice Counts rolled out officially at the Cabinet in the Community meeting hosted by Mayor Michael B. Hancock at Henry World Middle School.