The 2009 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy in Seoul has come to a close. At the end, I had the privilege of inviting delegates to the third annual global forum next August in San Francisco.

So save these days: Sunday, Aug. 1 through Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010, in the city of San Francisco. Our theme: "Constitution Making and Direct Democracy." What are the best ways to use direct democracy for the making and remaking of constitutions? And what systems and structures of direct democracy belong in those constitutions?

We'll focus on California's constitution and the efforts to remake it -- offering a global perspective and investigating constitution making in places large and small, from Latin America to Africa to Iceland and the German city/state of Hamburg. This won't be merely an international conference--it'll be a big national conference, and we invite journalists, academics, activists and political professionals involved in direct democracy in American states to join us.

I'll be organizing the event along with Bob Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies. If you'd like to join us, speak, make suggestions or offer financial support, please get in touch. The best way is joe@joemathews.com. Also look soon for news of the forum through the Initiative & Referendum Institute Europe web site.