In the spirit of the Obama Administration’s goal of moving forward in partnership, listening to one another, and finding common ground, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is sponsoring Global Pulse 2010, an online “virtual” collaboration event that will bring together participants to create a global conversation.

The best part? Anyone with a computer and internet access can join the conversation. The even better part? Registration and participation is FREE! The catch? There are a limited number of virtual seats in Global Pulse 2010, so be sure to register early if you’re interested. I just signed up, so maybe I’ll see you there. And if you don’t register to participate, you can still check the site for updates and to see what others are saying.

Gobal Pulse 2010 will focus on 10 hot-button international issues. For the By the People readers who are champions for democracy, you’ll want to check out the topic called: “Exercising rights, increasing citizen participation, and expanding accountability,” which aims to “Deepen mutual understanding of citizens’ political and civil rights and duties, and role in holding their governments accountable.”

Other topics include, “Empowering Leaders of Tomorrow,” “Empowering Women and Girls,” “Promoting Global Health,” and “Supporting a Sustainable Planet.”

As the name implies, the event will take the pulse of as many as 20,000 participants on key issues facing communities around the world. Will you be one of them?

For additional information, and to register for the event, check out the official Global Pulse 2010 web site at www.GlobalPulse2010.gov.