Welcome to the inaugural “Connections” – the New England Futures newsletter! With this issue we want to alert you to the first Citistates Group article in the New England Futures series set to publish on October 1-2. (Over 50 papers in the region have indicated an interest in these articles.) And we want to remind you that these articles are a jumping off point for broad public dialogues that are intended to culminate in an action agenda for New England that is developed by all of its citizens. There are many critical steps along the way that we need your help with in order to be successful, so please read carefully through this newsletter about the many ways that you can contribute. We would like to hear from you! ~ Beth Humstone, Institute for Sustainable Communities at ehumstone@iscvt.org

Citistates Releases First Article

“In today's global economy, the historic rivalries and differences between New England states are luxuries we can't afford.”
~ Former Governor Angus King quote highlighted in first article

Since December 2004, Neal Peirce and Curtis Johnson of the Citistates Group have traveled all over New England to conduct over 400 interviews. Many of you reading this newsletter graciously gave your time to help them identify the critical issues confronting the New England region in the 21st Century. Starting on October 1st, the first in a series of six articles based on these issues is set to be published in newspapers throughout New England. The theme for the six articles has been identified as New Century, New Game, and the first article, focusing on New England’s Identity, will be entitled Six Teams — or One?

Over 50 newspapers from across New England have signed on to receive the articles, and we are in the process of scheduling radio and television programming as well. Stay tuned to our website for updates on all upcoming media coverage.

New NEF Website Launches

During the month of September, the New England Futures' website received an exciting makeover. We invite you to take a sneak peek at www.newenglandfutures.org. The official launch date is October 1st, at which time the Citistates Group first article, Six Teams — or One?, will get posted, along with features like blogs and forums.

You can help promote the New England Futures website by placing a link to it from your website. Click here to access the official New England Futures logo and instructions for linking to our site.

The goal of the website is to serve as a marketplace of ideas for the future of New England — a hub for the project that will allow citizens and leaders in all six states to come together to not only learn more about the issues, but help shape an ambitious agenda and start taking the steps to achieve it.

Help us to make the website an active and vibrant destination where all New Englanders can participate in their future by writing blog entries, moderating forums, or providing content.

Contact Christine Petterssen at cpetterssen@iscvt.org to find out how you can contribute to the new NEF website.

Promote the Dialogue about New England Futures

We need you to be ambassadors for the New England Futures project by spreading the word to your family, friends, colleagues and the media about why it is so important for New England to work together to solve its critical issues, rather than waiting for the individual states or the nation as a whole. New England has the people and the resources available to lead the nation and the world, but until a critical mass of New Englanders unite together to make this our number one priority, this idea remains a passion only among a few of us. See the "Take Action" steps listed on right to see how you can help.

Support New England Futures

Partnership for New England Old Sturbridge Village, Mass. June 8, 2005

New England Futures would like to thank all those who supported Phase I of the project through their generous donations, as well as new supporters of Phase II. Support has come from community foundations in all six states, along with numerous corporations and individuals (click here for complete list of supporters).

Phase I of the project consisted of interviews with leaders and diverse interest groups throughout New England, the preparation of six articles to be printed in newspapers in all six states, the development of key partnerships to guide and advise the project, and the initiation of a project website.

Phase II of New England Futures is now well underway, and funding at this time is critical to ensure the project meets its goals. During Phase II, the project will promote broad public dialogue throughout the region on all six themes leading towards the development of an action agenda that will be implemented in Phase III. Key elements of this Phase II include media outreach to both print and broadcast media, an expanded website, and public interviews and discussions. At the conclusion we will hold transparent and provocative dialogues around the six states that will blend New England’s long tradition of town meetings with cutting edge technologies.

We strongly believe that with sufficient resources for New England Futures, the New England states can make pivotal advances on strategic issues and rise out of isolation to lead the country with innovative solutions to some of its more intractable problems. To help fund NEF, contact Beth Humstone at ehumstone@iscvt.org.

Preview of What’s to Come in November

With fuel prices skyrocketing across New England, the Citistates Group’s November article, entitled Take the Offense on Energy, will be especially timely. This article will ask New Englanders to imagine a coordinated New England-wide strategy that reduces New England’s dependence on imported energy by concentrating on conservation, bio-fuels, wind farms, and “green” buildings. If you work on energy issues and would like to be involved on this issue, please contact the project at info@newenglandfutures.org to see how you can help.