Webster's World of Cultural Democracy

Webster's World of Cultural Democracy comprises four major "sub-worlds," each containing distinct types of information and activities:

• Webster's World of Cultural Policy comprises a growing array of linked pages which introduce the core concepts of cultural policy and cultural democracy, offering deeper background in a variety of special-focus areas of policy. Basic information can be accessed from the Cultural Policy home page. Links here and on succeeding pages will lead you to a growing collection of more detailed and deeper discussions of whatever interests you.

• Webster's World of Cultural Action presents cultural activities which people are undertaking to realize the goals of cultural democracy and promote participation in cultural life. Practical how -to information on activities such as story-based theater, participatory photography projects, and many others will be linked and located there.

• Webster's Guide to the Cultural Landscape includes information about the wide-ranging fields engaged in various aspects of cultural development and policymaking. Links here will lead you to partic ular institutions, projects, organizers, agencies, artists, and scholars, both within Webster's World and elsewhere on the Internet. We're eager to include more groups, so check the List of Cultural Organizations< /A> to see if your favorites are already included, and tell us about the groups and projects you know about.

• Webster's World of Cultural Issues provides an arena for discussion of crucial issues in the cultural field and a "navigation center " to other virtual meeting-places on the Internet. Webster's World of Cultural Issues will grow enormously over the years, in response to visitors' suggestions and responses and ther changing cultural climate. Send suggestions of issues you'd like to see discussed here, using the e-mail facility at the bottom of each Webster's World page.

Links at the bottom of every WWCD page will take you to the top pages of each of the four major "sub-worlds" described above.

In addition to the four sections introduced above, a number of core resources are also available for Webster's World users. These include:

• A Table of Contents, mapping out the complete current structure of WWCD pages;
• A Topical Index is planned, containing links to topics touched upon in various sections of WWCD;
• A page featuring What's New in Webster's World, for return visitors' convenience;
• A Glossary of terms used frequently throughout Webster's World;
• A short definition of cultural democracy, accompanied by a brief discussion of why cultural democracy is an important idea. Two short essays are available for those wanting to learn mo re about the idea.