All-Expenses Trip to Train on NIFI’s Online Deliberation Tool

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We want our members to know that the Kettering Foundation and National Issues Forums Institute are offering an amazing opportunity for NIF moderators to attend an in-person training on their new online deliberation tool, Common Ground for Action, this May 18-19 in Ohio. Kettering is generously offering to foot the while bill, but you must register by April 29! Read more below or find the original announcement here.

“We need some way to be able to take National Issues Forums online.”

NIF moderators and conveners have been telling us this for years.

Well, we heard you.

NIFI and Kettering Foundation have been collaborating with a working group of NIF members for over two years on an online version of the NIF forums we all know and love. It’s called Common Ground for Action, and it’s now available to all NIF moderators to use anytime.

Best of all, there’s no technical mumbo jumbo – CGA runs in any web browser, and has a simple, intuitive design. If you’re an experienced in-person moderator, all you’ll need is a little practice with the platform.

And to do that practice, we’re offering a special in-person moderator prep workshop at Kettering Foundation May 18-19. We have 15 spots available for the workshop, and Kettering takes care of all travel and lodging expenses as well as meals. These 15 spots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so register right away if you’d like to attend. REGISTER NOW!

Once you register, we’ll be in touch shortly with instructions on how to make travel arrangements through the foundation, as well as an agenda and prep materials. All travel arrangements must be made by Apr. 30, so registration will close Apr. 29!

This workshop will run from noon, Monday May 18 – noon, Tuesday May 19. We’ll be splitting into small groups to give everyone the maximum opportunity to practice moderating, and we’ll have time for lots of feedback and questions. In addition to ensuring you master the technology, we’ll also be focusing on how moderators can make these forums as deliberative as possible.

If you have any questions, email Amy Lee at alee[at]kettering[dot]org, the Kettering Foundation program officer who developed the platform with NIFI.

You can find the original version of this NIFI blog post at www.nifi.org/en/groups/attend-person-workshop-about-using-new-online-deliberation-tool-common-ground-action.

Register for Frontiers of Democracy 2015, June 25-27!

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

It’s time to start gearing up again for this year’s Frontiers of Democracy conference in Boston, MA this June 25th-27th! This anual conference has become a key civic infrastructure where leaders in the D&D field and democratic thought to gather to explore ideas at the forefront of advancing democracy, and we highly recommend you join us there!

Frontiers of Democracy is sponsored by Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University, the Democracy Imperative, and the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, all of which have NCDD members in their leadership.

The organizers describe the conference this way:

While powerful forces work against justice and civil society around the world, committed and innovative people strive to understand and improve citizens’ engagement with government, with community, and with each other. Every year, Frontiers of Democracy convenes some of these practitioners and scholars for organized discussions and informal interactions.

Topics include deliberative democracy, civil and human rights, social justice, community organizing and development, civic learning and political engagement, the role of higher education in democracy, Civic Studies, media reform and citizen media production, civic technology, civic environmentalism, and common pool resource management. Devoted to new issues and innovative solutions, this conference is truly at the frontiers of democracy.

You can learn more by visiting the conference website at http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/civic-studies/frontiers and register here.

We know this conference will be a great space for NCDD members to be, and we hope to see you there!

Confab Call with Pete Peterson is THIS Thursday, 4/23

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We are excited to be gearing up for NCDD’s next Confab Call this Thursday, April 23rd! Are you ready to join us? The call will take place from 1-2pm Eastern/10-11am Pacific.

As we recently announced, this week’s Confab will feature a conversation with NCDD Member Pete Peterson. Pete is the Executive Director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership, and in 2014, he ran for California Secretary of State on a platform of increasing informed civic participation and using technology to make government more responsive and transparent.

On this Confab, Pete will share lessons learned from running for office on a platform he described as becoming California’s first “Chief Engagement Officer,” and what promise and challenges the civic participation field faces when translated into a political context.

NCDD’s Confab Calls are great opportunities to talk with and hear from innovators in our field about the work they’re doing, and to connect with fellow members around shared interests. Membership in NCDD is encouraged but not required for participation in these calls.

There’s still time left to get signed up, but don’t delay! Register today and save your spot! We look forwarding to having you join us for this wonderful conversation.

See How PB Works Behind the Scenes on Apr. 18 in NYC

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

There is a unique opportunity that the Participatory Budgeting Project – an NCDD member organization – is offering to folks in NYC this week. PBP is running yet another participatory budgeting voting process in NYC this week, and is inviting folks to catch a behind-the-scenes look at the actual process. The next chance is on April 18th, so if you’re in the city, check it out! Learn more in the PBP announcement below or find the original one here.

We would like to invite you to join us at voting sites across NYC between April 11 – 19 to see PB in action!

As part of this year-long process, residents of the 24 Council Districts participating in this year’s PB cycle have gotten together to discuss local needs, brainstorm ideas, and develop proposals to help meet those needs. Now it’s time to decide through a public vote which of those projects should get funded with our tax dollars!

Find out where to vote on the Council’s website!

Regardless of whether you live in a participating district, please join our staff at the following vote sites, to get a behind the scenes look at democracy in action:

Saturday, April 11
- 11a-1p – District 8: Harlem RBI, 1960 1st Avenue at 101st Street, Harlem

Saturday, April 18
- 11a-1p – District 39: Windsor Terrace Library, 160 East 5th St at Ft. Hamilton Pkwy, Brooklyn
- 12-2p – District 3: LGBT Community Center, 208 W 13th St at 7th Avenue, Manhattan
- 3-5p – District 38, Sunset Park Library Saturday, 5108 4th Ave at 51st Street, Brooklyn

Please RSVP to – info[at]participatorybudgeting[dot]org

APRIL 11-19 PBNYC 2015 GET OUT THE VOTE! from PBP on Vimeo.

Even if you can’t join us you can find out if your district is participating and where to vote on the Council’s website!

You’ll also find out what’s on the ballot, see a map of proposed projects, pledge to vote, and volunteer to help with the Participatory Budgeting vote.

Love and democracy,
PBP

You can find the original version of this PBP blog post at www.participatorybudgeting.org/blog/join-us-for-voting-in-pbnyc.

Missed Our Loomio Tech Tuesday Event? Watch it Now!

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We had a great Tech Tuesday on April 7th where about 65 NCDD members participated in a call with Alanna Krause and Chelsea Robinson of the Loomio cooperative. Loomio is an independent and neutral online space for complex discussion used by people from around the world to start a discussions, build agreement, and make decisions together for a course of action. We learned a lot and had a great conversation!

In case you missed it, you can listen to the recording of the call by clicking here, and Alanna and Chelsea’s power point presentation can be found here.

We also encourage you to learn more about Loomio from this snazzy video they’ve made explaining how it works.

Thanks again to Alanna and Chelsea for joining us!

We hope to see even more of you join us for our next Tech Tuesday talk. Keep an eye on our NCDD news blog for updates coming soon.

Register for the Teaching Deliberatively Workshop, Jul. 13-17

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We want to make sure that our NCDD members who work with schools hear about the 6th annual Teaching Deliberatively workshop, which will take place this July 13-17. This great opportunity is made possible in part by the National Issues Forums Institute and the Kettering Foundation. You can learn more in the NIFI post below or by vising www.iowapartners.org.

Many believe public schools should teach students to weigh the costs and consequences of a range of “perspectives” (actions) that might be chosen – maybe in instances of provocation or over tough issues. Teachers and administrators can “lead” by demonstrating a preference for dialogue. Kids can learn to engage in substantive “talk” when schools make dialogue and deliberation a part of a school or classroom. This workshop teaches how to do that.

To view the schedule, see the workshop website at: www.iowapartners.org.

Sixth Annual Workshop

Teaching Deliberatively: Building “Leader-full” Communities of Teachers and Students

July 13-17 2015
ISEA Headquarters – Des Moines
2 Hrs. UNI Credit Covered By Grant

The one-week institute builds on the Charles F. Kettering Foundation’s (www.kettering.org) approach to issue deliberation, as adapted to classrooms, and blends with the Iowa Writing Project’s unique teaching methodologies. This results in a successful learning experience – and increases potential for more civil classrooms, schools and communities. Participants will:

Learn how to “frame” concerns for more engaged discussion, deeper insight, more learning.
Learn to convene, moderate, record, and report on deliberative discussions.
Learn how public issues and deliberative democracy come together, using writing to develop civic literacy – as per the Iowa Core and national standards.
Learn to bring issue exploration and deliberation into school curriculum and community life.
Develop a take-home discussion guide.
Be invited to share learning experiences with colleagues in follow-up sessions.
Use e-technology for building & sharing a repertoire of tools, materials, and lessons for teaching in schools back home.

This institute is a joint project of the Iowa Writing Project at University of Northern Iowa (UNI), the Iowa State Education Association, and the Iowa Partners in Learning – with generous support from the David and Elaine Wilkinson Family Fund for Democracy and Education.

A private grant supports the institute and underwrites full tuition costs for two hours of UNI graduate credit for 25 participants (preference to teams from same school). As an alternative to UNI credit, participants may enroll for license renewal credit. Priority for tuition-free participation will be given to interdisciplinary teams (pairs) of teachers from the same school.

Dr. James S. Davis of UNI, the Director of the Iowa Writing Project, is the principal instructor. Members of the Iowa Partners in Learning team co-facilitate.

For information: james[dot]davis[at]uni[dot]edu.

To register: Under its “programs” tab, the Iowa Writing Project will offer a registration link at its site on the UNI website at www.uni.edu/continuinged/iwp.

You can find the original version of this NIFI blog post at https://www.nifi.org/en/groups/teaching-deliberatively-sixth-annual-workshop-july-13-17-2015-des-moines-iow.

Register for the 2015 IAF N. American Conference

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We want to make sure that our NCDD members know about the upcoming North American conference of the International Association of Facilitators this May 14-16 in Banff, Canada. Regular non-IAF member registration is $860 for this great networking and capacity building gathering. You can read more in IAFNA’s announcement below or at www.iafna2015.com.

Climb towards new heights and seek out new vistas! The picturesque mountain scape of Banff Alberta Canada inspires a conference program that gives you opportunities to explore and elevate your facilitation knowledge and skills. The Conference theme is: Innovating, Promoting and Applying! Seeking New Facilitation Heights and Insights.

Innovating – learn about new trends, research, and creativity in facilitation

Promoting – communicate and market facilitation profession and services

Applying – learn, practice and improve facilitation skills

NOW is a great time to register for IAFNA 2015 in Banff to take advantage of current economical fees that increase the longer you wait. Your THREE general steps are:

1) Register for the Conference – read descriptions below and select applicable button that link to easy online forms and flexible payment options.

2) Book Accommodations – for greatest convenience and solid value on-site at The Banff Centre, book using link available at end of Conference Registration process.

3) Select Workshops – watch for a notice about where, how and when (approx. March 10+/-) to select your preferred workshops, subject to available space.

For more on information on the IAFNA 2015 program, visit www.iafna2015.com/program.

EvDem Webinar on Recruiting for Dialogue & Action, Apr. 9

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We want to encourage our NCDD members to join the good people with Everyday Democracy, an NCDD member organization, for a helpful webinar they are hosting this April 9th at 4pm EST. The webinar is called “How to Recruit Leaders and Volunteers for Your Cause” and is a great chance for those of us who work with volunteers or are interested in growing our organizations.

The webinar will feature insights on recruiting and retention from Everyday Democracy Program Officer Janee Woods Weber. Here’s how EvDem describes the event:

Join us for a webinar on recruiting new leaders and volunteers on April 9 at 4pm ET.

This is a webinar to explore best practices for recruiting coalition members, facilitators, and participants for your dialogue and action work. We’ll talk about how to get started, how to recruit groups that are hard to reach, and 10 tips for recruiting new leaders. Join this webinar to get some great tips on getting people to sign up for your cause!

We hope you’ll take advantage of this great opportunity! You can register today by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7632196557590205953, or visit EvDem’s original announcement about the event by clicking here.

NCDD Discount on Strategic Collaborations Training in April

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Roshan Bliss

We recently saw the announcement below from NCDD supporting member Christine Whitney Sanchez of Innovation Partners International about a great training this April 13-16 in Phoenix, AZ that we wanted to share. The early bird deadline is March 15, and Christine is offering a 20% discount for NCDD members who contact her at christine[at]innovationpartners[dot]com, so be sure to read her announcement below or learn more here.

Methods for Strategic Collaboration Foundations Training

Are you interested in learning how to engage groups of 5 to 10,000 in strategic conversations? Are you an external or internal consultant, responsible for business development, network coordination, facilitating civil dialogue or the engagement of people in change projects?

Join your peers who are making an impact in their own communities. Develop the foundational skills to blend and scale five powerful methods that are being used around the world for breakthrough thinking, decision-making and collaborative action.

For over 12 years, Methods for Strategic Collaboration participants in California, France, Illinois, Singapore, Colorado, Guadalajara, Arizona, and Wales have increased their capacity as change leaders in their own communities.

I hope you will join us – it’s always full of lively conversations and results in fascinating strategic collaborations.

Bridging the Divides: Practical Dialogue and Creative Deliberation

Posted on March 10, 2015 by NCDD Community

We are happy to share the announcement below from NCDD Member Rosa Zubizarreta of DiaPraxis, which is an NCDD organizational member. Rosa’s announcement came via our great Submit-to-Blog Form. Do you have news you want to share with the NCDD network? Just click here to submit your news post for the NCDD Blog!

Dear NCDD colleagues,

I am writing to let you know about two upcoming workshops in Dynamic Inquiry / Dynamic Facilitation. The first one is in Maine on March 27 – 29, sponsored by the Maine Association of Mediators. The second one is in NYC on April 17-19, sponsored by Focusing International.

We have a sliding-scale fee that ranges from $600 community rate to $1,200 corporate rate. In addition, NCDD members are eligible for a special discount rate we are offering during the next week: e-mail me at rosa[at]diapraxis[dot]com for more info.

So many good workshops out there! Each one valuable (at least all the ones I’ve taken!) and each one offering something unique.

Here’s what’s distinctive about ours: we offer an emergence-based, non-linear practice for transforming the energy of conflict into creativity, through cognitive empathy, welcoming initial solutions, and offering audacious invitations (so if you did appoint a committee to study the issue for a year, and they came up with a recommendation you loved, what might it be?) I’ve written a great deal about how this open-source process works, both in my book (www.fromconflict2creativity.com) as well as in various articles freely available on my website at www.diapraxis.com/resources.

What this means for practitioners: past workshop participants report feeling much more at ease in situations of conflict, developing practical skills for helping others shift from defensiveness to engagement, gaining more trust “in their bones” in emergent group process, and developing a greater ability to help groups shift into a state of creative flow. Due to the highly experiential nature of the workshop, many participants also report having personally transformative experiences during our time together.

Okay! If you’re interested, and would like to have a conversation, e-mail me to let me know.

Civic Studies

An intellectual community of researchers and practitioners dedicated to building the emerging field of civic studies

Category Archives: educational opportunities