A loya jirga is, essentially, the same process on a much grander scale: an immense assembly of esteemed tribal leaders designated to debate issues of utmost national importance.
George's sanitation goals and other water-related topics attracted 2,500 participants to World Water Week in Stockholm where experts, decision makers, academics and journalists debated issues of vital importance to the planet.
Although Mr. McCain now plans to begin reaching out to African-American voters, he and the other leading Republican presidential candidates skipped a televised debate last year that centered on issues of importance to black and Hispanic voters, citing scheduling conflicts.
This summer Congress will debate and vote on numerous issues of importance to veterans including funding levels for the VA, troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq, how to combat ISIS, critical job placement programs for veterans and much more.
The tactic might be considered impolite and it disrupts business as usual, but hopefully, it helps push forward a larger debate on issues of great importance to society.
While endowed newspapers would need to refrain from endorsing candidates for public office, they would still be free to participate forcefully in the debate over issues of public importance.
Speaking after the election result was declared, the principal of the university, Timothy O'Shea, said: "I am delighted that we had four such high quality candidates contending this rectorial election, and that it has generated such interest and debate on issues of real importance to students and staff.
The C.I.A.'s manifest abuse of the Glomar doctrine undermines public confidence in the classification system, distorts public debate about issues of extraordinary importance, and enables an agency with sweeping authority — including the authority to kill — to operate with insufficient public oversight.
One constraint on an endowed institution is the prohibition in the same law against trying to "influence legislation" or "participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates". While endowed newspapers would need to refrain from endorsing candidates for public office, they would still be free to participate forcefully in the debate over issues of public importance.
