Declaration Project

The Declaration Project is an interactive initiative that both celebrates and carries the torch of the Spirit of ’76.

An initiative of Democracy Cafe, the Declaration Project features a comprehensive collection of declarations of independence and kindred declarations crafted in the U.S. and the world over. While the ‘Declaration Collection’ component of this project is a centerpiece, there are two other key parts to this initiative:  MyDeclaration™ gives you the opportunity to compose and post your own declaration, and for others to respond to it. And the Spirit of ’76 Cafe™ features ongoing Socratic explorations of the themes that resonate in our July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence and others included here. To our knowledge, no one else has undertaken the important work of bringing together in one place all the world’s declarations of independence, of rights, of principles, of purpose, of sentiments, and telling the stories behind their creation. Many of these stories are not well-known, or not known at all, but nonetheless have had a marked impact — usually, though not always, for the better. In many instances, by telling the stories of these declarations, we will also be telling the story of what the ‘Spirit of ‘76’ has come to mean to  people of varying political beliefs in the U.S. and abroad. Many of the declarations included in the Declaration Collection draw their inspiration from our original document, issued on July 4, 1776, and many model its format and structure and rhetoric. Many who’ve publish declarations claim to be advancing the principles of our own Founding Fathers and Mothers , even as they often disagree about what those principles amount to. The Declaration Project focuses on these core themes:

  1. Freedom, Liberty & Independence
  2. Citizenship & Connectivity
  3. Civic Action & Engagement
  4. Government truly of, by and for the people

We hope that you yourself will be moved by the Spirit of ’76 to create your own declaration, based on your own vision for your world, and on your own notions of freedom, liberty, independence — and that this in turn will inspire you to spring into action, for a greater good. It is also our hope that this community-building site will move you to engage thoughtfully with others, and explore how we can best achieve greater freedom, liberty and independence for one and all. We hope you’ll visit our site early and often. Feel free to submit not only your own Declaration of Independence, but others that you might come across. This is a work in progress, and in the years to come we hope it will be the go-to site for all things ‘declarational’ — and most of all we hope it will be one meaningful way, as Barack Obama put it, for us to “keep taking steps toward a more perfect union, and close the gaps between who we are and who we want to be.”