Grass roots, bottom-up, democracy. Coffee Party USA seeks to move America away from extremes, out of the clutches of special interests, and into an age of civic duty and community. Imagine that.

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About two months ago a couple of young people, Annabel Park and Eric Byler, disturbed by the excesses of the Tea Party Movement, decided to create their own movement calling it Coffee Party USA. In the weeks that followed they have done some impressive work creating a web based network and founding a movement that is unlike any advocacy group to come down the pike, and very unlike the infamous Tea Party that has been in the headlines.

Park says, "We want to get the majority of Americans to become active citizens." She explains that we need to engage with each other in a civil way with a sense of civic duty and honor. Park and Byler have refused to put forward any platform or agenda. Instead they have created a process for people of divers views to engage in conversations on the most important political issues of our time. It begins with an on-line questionnaire that helps individuals describe their personal position on dozens of issues. The software then generates a circular diagram that represents that profile graphically.

When people sit together and share these charts, a dialog takes place that fosters mutual respect and understanding. Often the result is that groups find consensus. Byler says. "We've really, really benefited from the wisdom, the expertise, the creativity."

This approach demonstrates one of the core goals of the group: to move people away from extremes and polarization, and toward a sense of common purpose and community.

This weekend (March 27/28) is The Coffee Party USA National Coffee Summit. Across the country more than 400 groups are gathering to discuss their shared commitment to be involved citizens. Many will use the Coffee Party Sphere to spark dialog on the issues. Next week, as legislators return to their home districts with congress in recess, members of these groups will be introducing themselves to their local Congressional Representatives not necessarily to lobby, but to present themselves as involved concerned citizens who are respectful and thoughtful about the issues and start an ongoing relationship.

A party without platform? Activists without a cause? Not exactly. One unifying interest among the members is to counter the influence of special interests and lobbying groups. There is a theme to Coffee Party USA's actions -- grass-roots, bottom-up, democracy. What a concept.

Authors Website: http://rbshreve.com

Authors Bio:

Richmond Shreve is a retired business executive whose careers began in electronics (USN) and broadcasting in the 1960s. Over the years he has maintained a hobby interest in amateur radio, and the audio-visual arts while working in sales and marketing. For the last thirty years he was co-owner and CEO of the Middlebrook Crossroads business park (Edmar Corporation) in Bridgewater, NJ. He holds a lifetime FCC Second Class Commercial license, and an amateur radio General Class license (W2EMU). In 2012 Richmond retired from instructing sports car owners in high performance driving techniques at major tracks including NJ Motorsports Park, Watkins Glen, and Summit Point. He is the author and publisher of the Instructor Candidate Manual used by BMWCCA and other car clubs to train their on-track instructors.

Prior to moving to Newtown,PA, he volunteered as chief engineer of WCFA the Cape May, NJ community radio station as well as working as a gaffer on the Cape May Film Festival technical crew, a driver/engineer in the Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Company, served as its Treasurer and as Treasurer of its Firemen's Relief Association. He edited and printed the Cape May Point Taxpayer's Association Newsletter.

As a computer power user, graphic artist, photographer, and website designer he helps nonprofits build and maintain web sites. He is a fromer Vestry member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent.
Richmond is a citizen journalist and former Senior Editor at OpEdNews.com, a progressive news and opinion site on the internet.

Richmond lives with his wife Marguerite Chandler in Newtown, PA wher he continues to write essays ad short fiction. They travel extensively with their fifth wheel RV.

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Books:
Lost River Anthology (Amazon.com)
Instructor Candidate Manual (LuLu.com)