Won't you be my neighbor?

The Philadelphia Weekly offers a profile of Neighborhood Networks, the citywide progressive organization planning its launch on June 4. It captures the mission of the group, describes the conference and keynote speaker, and talks about how it hopes to interact with and influence existing political parties.

"Neighborhood Networks will be a democracy in spirit as well as form," says Marc Stier, a Temple University professor and president of West Mt. Airy Neighbors. "We want to work to help elect good candidates-ones who aren't in it for patronage or jobs, but because they care."

If you haven't heard about this organization, this is an excellent introduction. Whether it's new to you or not, if you'd like to move from reading about politics and sending money to abstract groups to putting your feet and your energies into changing the political culture in Philadelphia, consider coming to the June 4 conference. Motivated folks are needed from every neighborhood in the city.

"The biggest challenge is getting people to understand that in order to have an impact on a national level, you need to be energized on a local level," says Stan Shapiro, an attorney who worked for Philadelphia City Council for many years.

There's plenty more information on the Neighborhood Networks website, and you can greatly help with planning by registering for the conference in advance.