D&D Webinar Double Header Today & Register for the NCDD-EvDem Confab Tomo

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

It’s a busy morning of D&D webinars if you are looking to strengthen your engagement skills! First up, NCDD sponsor org The Courageous Leadership Project will be holding their “Brave, Honest Conversations” webinar from 9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern. Then immediately after that, we encourage you to check out the webinar “Engaging your Community Outside of City Hall” with our friends at the National Civic League from 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern. Don’t forget tomorrow is our next NCDD confab call featuring Everyday Democracy, who will share will us their resources for evaluating community engagement – register for this free call happening Thursday, November 14th from 11am-12pm Pacific, 2-3pm Eastern!

Here are the upcoming D&D online events happening over the next few weeks, including NCDD member orgs National Issues Forums Institute and Living Room Conversations, as well as, from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice.

NCDD’s online D&D event roundup is a weekly compilation of the upcoming events happening in the digital world related to dialogue, deliberation, civic tech, engagement work, and more! Do you have a webinar or other digital event coming up that you’d like to share with the NCDD network? Please let us know in the comments section below or by emailing me at keiva[at]ncdd[dot]org, because we’d love to add it to the list!

Upcoming Online D&D Events –

NCDD Confab Call Featuring Everyday Democracy

Confab bubble image On this call, we will be joined by Deloris Vaughn, Director of Evaluation and Learning for Everyday Democracy, as well as Sandy Heierbacher, Interim Communications Director (and, of course, NCDD’s Co-Founder!). They will share with us their resources for evaluating community engagement, specifically Ripple Effects Mapping, which allows visual documentation of your work’s impacts over time. Learn more at the link below and register ASAP for this free call!

REGISTER: http://ncdd.org/30552

From Our Sponsors & Partners

The Courageous Leadership Project webinar – Brave, Honest Conversations

Wednesday, November 13th
9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

Some conversations are hard to have. Fear and discomfort build in your body and you avoid and procrastinate or pretend everything is fine. Sometimes you rush in with urgency, wanting to smooth things over, fix them, and make them better. Sometimes you go to battle stations, positioning the conversation so you have a higher chance of being on the “winning” side. NONE OF THIS WORKS. Instead, it usually makes a hard conversation harder; more divided, polarized, and disconnected from others. The more people involved, the harder the conversation can be. I believe that brave, honest conversations are how we solve the problems we face in our world – together.

In this webinar, we will cover: What is a Brave, Honest Conversation? Why have one? What can change because of a brave, honest conversation? How do you have one? What do you need to think about and do? How do you prepare yourself for a brave, honest conversation?

REGISTER: www.bravelylead.com/shop/freewebinarbhc

National Civic League AAC Promising Practices Webinar – Engaging your Community Outside of City Hall

Wednesday, November 13th
10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern

Join the National Civic League to learn how communities are engaging residents where they live, using unique and entertaining approaches. This webinar will highlight three community events that are giving residents entertaining opportunities for engaging with the city. Registrants will hear about events in Denver, CO, Decatur, GA and Mission, TX.

REGISTER: www.nationalcivicleague.org/resource-center/promising-practices/

From Our Members

MetroQuest – click here

Indianapolis MPO’s Formula for Actionable Public Input on Bike, Ped & Transit – Wednesday, November 20th at 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

Living Room Conversations – click here

Status and Privilege – Thursday, November 14th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
Training: A Holiday Recipe for Talking Politics with Family – Monday, November 18th at 3:30 pm Pacific, 6:30 pm Eastern
Relationships Over Politics: Connecting with Friends and Family – Thursday, November 21st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

National Issues Forums Institute – click here

November CGA Forum Series: How Can We Stop Mass Shootings in Our Communities? – Thursday, November 21st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
November Common Ground for Action (CGA) Moderator Training – Friday, November 22nd at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern

From the Network

International City/County Management Association – click here

Having Difficult Conversations In Your Organization and Beyond – Thursday, November 14th at 9:30 am Pacific, 12:30 Eastern

Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) – click here

Education for sustainable Peace, an initiative by Aegis Trust – Friday, November 15th at 9:30 am Pacific, 12:30 Eastern

Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice – click here

Harm, Healing & Human Dignity: Catholics in the Restorative Justice Movement – Wednesday, November 20th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

MANY New Job & Internship Opportunities in the D&D Field

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

There are LOTS of new jobs and internships related to dialogue, deliberation, civic tech, and public engagement work! Including two special opportunities to work with NCDD Co-Founder Sandy Heierbacher who is now working with Everyday Democracy, and they looking for a Director of Communications and Community Organizer – check it out!

We work to stay up on the most recent opportunities and send them out via the NCDD Making-A-Living listserv. While the Making-A-Living listserv is a benefit of being an NCDD member, we have been finding such a robust line-up of jobs and internships that we wanted to lift these up here on the blog. If you’d like to receive these regular updates and are an NCDD member, sign up for the Making-A-Living listserv here. If you are not a member of NCDD, then we strongly encourage you to join so you can receive the most up-to-date positions we find! Learn more about the additional benefits of being an NCDD member by clicking here.

Remember if your org is hiring, let us know by sending the postings to keiva[at]ncdd[dot]org. Good luck to all applicants!

New Job & Internship Opportunities in D&D Field – November 11, 2019

Everyday Democracy is hiring for two positions in their Hartford, CT. Read more: www.everyday-democracy.org/about/jobs-internships

Director of Communications
Community Organizer

The Conflict Transformation Fund is hiring a full-time Initiative Director. Read more: www.conflicttransformationfund.org/about/work-with-us/.

Duke University is hiring for an Executive Director of the North Carolina Leadership Forum. Read more: www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/director-nclf-at-duke-university-1545474311/

Living Room Conversations is seeking volunteers for several positions. Read more: www.livingroomconversations.org/about-us/volunteer-opportunities/

Volunteer Coordinator
Social Media Moderator
Lead and Local Organizers
Communications
Research

[POSITION NOW FILLED] Civic Dinners is looking for a Social Media Manager for their Atlanta office. Read more: https://about.civicdinners.com/social-media-role

Citizen University is hiring for a Communications Intern. Read more: www.citizenuniversity.us/job-openings-3/

Convergence Center for Policy Resolution is seeking a President & CEO. Read more: www.convergencepolicy.org/employment/

Generation Citizen is hiring for several positions – read more: www.generationcitizen.org/join-us/careers-internships/

Chief Executive Officer
Communications Manager
Senior Director of Program & Impact
Executive Director (California)

Center for Tech and Civic Life is hiring for an Executive Assistant in their Chicago office. Read more: www.techandciviclife.org/news/

MOVE Texas is hiring for two positions. Read more: www.movetexas.org/jobs/

Regional Organizing Manager
San Antonio Field Organizer

Cities of Service is currently seeking AmeriCorps VISTA members to serve in cities across the US. Read more: www.citiesofservice.org/about/careers/

Experience Matters Program – St. Paul, MN and Tulsa, OK
Guiding Opportunities Program – Oakland, CA and St. Louis, MO
Love Your Block Program – Hartford, CT and South Bend, IN

Democracy Fund is hiring for several positions below (in DC) – read more: www.democracyfund.org/page/jobs

Accounting Manager
IT Administrator
Just and Inclusive Society Fellow
Partnerships Associate
Program Associate, Public Square Program
Senior Advisor Government Accountability
Senior Associate, Strategy and Learning
Communications and Network Internship (Spring 2019)
Elections Program Internship (Spring 2019)
Governance Program Internship (Spring 2019)
Public Square Program Internship (Spring 2019)

Democracy Works has several positions and internships available (various locations). Read more: www.democracy.works/current-openings

Quality Assurance Engineer
Government Affairs Director
Voting Information Project Data Fellow

RepresentUS is hiring for several positions – read more: www.represent.us/careers/

Campaign Director (remote)
Senior Campaign Director (remote)
Digital Campaign Associate (Northampton, MA or San Francisco, CA)
Social Media Campaign Strategist (East Coast)
Digital Director (multiple locations)
Marketing Analyst (multiple locations)
National Media Strategist (multiple locations)
Social Media Strategist (multiple locations)
Regional Director of Development – West Coast
Communications Intern (Spring 2020)
Organizing Intern (Spring 2020)
Political Intern (Spring 2020)

IssueOne is looking for several positions. Read more: www.issueone.org/jobs/

Development Associate
Policy & Programs Intern (Spring 2020)
Development Intern (Spring 2020)

Young Invincibles has several positions open. Read more: www.younginvincibles.org/who-we-are/work-with-us/job-opportunities/

Development Coordinator
Content Strategy Manager
Digital Communications Coordinator

Knight Foundation looking to hire for several positions. Read more: https://knightfoundation.org/about/employment/

Junior Data Analyst – Miami

Fairvote is hiring for several positions. Read more: www.fairvote.org/employment_internships_fellowships#employment_opportunities

Director of Communications
Director of Advocacy
Digital Organizer
Software Developer
Voter Education Specialist
Regional Field Organizer
Data Analyst

EnviroIssues is hiring for multiple positions. Read more: www.enviroissues.com/jobs

Multi-Media Designer – Portland
Facilitation/Outreach Project Manager – Portland
Construction Outreach Associate – Seattle

Community Water Center hiring for two positions. Read more: www.communitywatercenter.org/careers

Communications Manager – Sacramento office
Community Organizer – Visalia office

Net Impact runs a jobs-internship board at www.netimpact.org/jobs.

Democracy Fund’s electiononline has LOTS of positions in various cities across the country. Read more: www.electionline.org/jobs-marketplace/

Careers in Government has several engagement & communication-related opportunities. Use the keyword search at www.careersingovernment.com/.

Discount Available for New D&D in Higher Education Primer

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

Exciting news! There’s a wonderful new resource that was recently published that we encourage those in our network to utilize, especially those working in higher education, called Creating Space for Democracy: A Primer on Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education. The book is edited by Nicholas V. Longo and Timothy Shaffer, with many chapter authors from the NCDD network.

From the book’s brief: “This primer offers a blueprint for achieving the civic mission of higher education by incorporating dialogue and deliberation into learning at colleges and universities.” You can receive 20% off the book when you use the code, “DEM20” at checkout and Amazon has the first chapter available for free. Below is more about the book and the Table of Contents so you can get a sense of the book – read more here.

For the Next Generation of Democratic Citizens

We live in divisive and polarizing times, often remaining in comfortable social bubbles and experiencing few genuine interactions with people who are different or with whom we disagree. For our democracy to thrive at a time when we face wicked problems that involve tough trade-offs, it is vital that all citizens participate fully in the process. We need to learn to listen, think, and act with others to solve public problems. This collaborative task begins with creating space for democracy. This book provides a guide for doing so on campus through deliberation and dialogue.

At the most basic level, this book describes collaborative and relational work to engage with others and co-create meaning. Specifically, dialogue and deliberation are processes in which a diverse group of people moves toward making a collective decision on a difficult public issue.

This primer offers a blueprint for achieving the civic mission of higher education by incorporating dialogue and deliberation into learning at colleges and universities.

This book, intended for all educators who are concerned about democracy, imparts the power and impact of public talk, offers the insights and experiences of leading practitioners, and provides the grounding to adopt or adapt the models in their own settings to create educative spaces and experiences that are humanizing, authentic, and productive. It is an important resource for campus leaders, student affairs practitioners, librarians, and centers of institutional diversity, community engagement, teaching excellence and service-learning, as well as faculty, particularly those in the fields of communication studies, education, and political science.

Table of Contents:
Introducation: Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education—Nicholas V. Longo and Timothy J. Shaffer

1) Discussing Democracy: Learning to Talk Together—Nicholas V. Longo and Timothy J. Shaffer

Part One: Concepts and Theories
2) Readiness for Discussing Democracy in Supercharged Political Times—Nancy Thomas
3) Deliberative Civic Engagement: Toward a Public Politics in Higher Education—Derek W.M. Barker
4) Cultivating Dialogue and Deliberation Through Speech, Silence, and Synthesis—Sara A. Mehltretter Drury

Part Two: Methods of Dialogue and Deliberation
5) Creating Cultures of Dialogue in Higher Education: Stories and Lessons from Essential Partners—John Sarrouf and Katie Hyten
6) Building Capacity in Communities: Everyday Democracy’s Dialogue to Change Approach—Martha L. McCoy and Sandy Heierbacher
7) Sustained Dialogue Campus Network—Elizabeth Wuerz, Rhonda Fitzgerald, Michaela Grenier, and Ottavia Lezzi
8) Educational Justice Using Intergroup Dialogue—Stephanie Hicks and Hamida Bhagirathy
9) The Free Southern Theater’s Story Circle Process—Lizzy Cooper Davis
10) The National Issues Forums: “Choicework” as an Indispensable Civic Skill—Jean Johnson and Keith Melville
11) What IF The Interactivity Foundation and Student-Facilitated Discussion Teams—Jeff Prudhomme and Shannon Wheatley Hartman

Part Three: Dialogue and Deliberation in the Curriculum
12) The Student as Local Deliberative Catalyst: The CSU Center for Public Deliberation—Martín Carcasson
13) Dialogue as a Teaching Tool for Democratizing Higher Education: The Simon Fraser University Semester in Dialogue—Janet Moore and Mark L. Winston
14) Conversations that Matter—Spoma Jovanovic
15) Talking Democracy—David Hoffman and Romy Hübler

Part Four: Dialogue and Deliberation Using Campus Spaces
16) Democracy Plaza at IUPUI—Amanda L. Bonilla and Lorrie A. Brown
17) Academic Libraries as Civic Agents—Nancy Kranich
18) Residence Halls as Sites of Democratic Practice—Laurel B. Kennedy

Part Five: Dialogue and Deliberation in the Community
19) Providence College/Smith Hill Annex—Keith Morton and Leslie Hernandez
20) Lessons from the Front Porch: Fostering Strengthened Community Partnerships Through Dialogue—Suchitra V. Gururaj and Virginia A. Cumberbatch
21) Local Participation and Lived Experience: Dialogue and Deliberation Through Participatory Processes in Landscape Architecture—Katie Kingery-Page
22) “Give Light and the People will Find a Way:” Democratic Deliberation and Public Achievement at Colorado College—Anthony C. Siracusa and Nan Elpers

Part Six: Dialogue and Deliberation Networks
23) New Hampshire Listens: Fulfilling the Land-Grant Mission While Strengthening Democratic Practice—Bruce L. Mallory, Michele Holt-Shannon, and Quixada Moore-Vissing
24) Start Talking, Stop Talking, and Toxic Talking: Resources for Engaging Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education—Libby Roderick
25) Enacting Democracy In “Democracy’s Colleges”—Carrie B. Kisker, John J. Theis, and Alberto Olivas

Conclusion: Sources of Democratic Professionalism in the University—Albert Dzur

You can learn more about the new book, Creating Space for Democracy: A primer on Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education, on the publisher’s site here.

EvDem Announces New Leadership in Democracy Awardee

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

In case you missed it, our friends at Everyday Democracy, an NCDD member organization recently announced the winner of the third annual Paul and Joyce Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award! Please join us in congratulating Happy Johnson and Arthur Johnson of the Lower Ninth Ward Center for the Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) in New Orleans, who for almost a decade has been “combining citizen engagement with environmental science to create equitable development and policy on climate resilience”. The Aicher Award Committee recognized the following finalists: Catalyst Miami, BRIDGE, Lisa Jo Epstein, and Ximena Zúñiga; and honorable mentions to Brandyn Keating, The Phoenix Association, Blontas (Winkie) Mitchell, and Roanoke Valley Points of Diversity. We encourage you to read the announcement below or on Everyday Democracy’s blog here.

3rd Annual Paul J. Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award Announced

For more than 25 years, Everyday Democracy has worked with communities across the country to foster a healthy and vibrant democracy – characterized by strong relationships across divides, leadership development, including the voices of all people, and understanding and addressing structural racism. The Aicher Award seeks to elevate community leaders who embody these values.

After considering more than 60 nominations from around the country, Everyday Democracy has announced the winner:

Happy Johnson and Arthur Johnson of New Orleans, LA

Happy Johnson and Arthur Johnson of New Orleans, La., were selected as the winners of the 2019 Paul and Joyce Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award. This team’s winning nomination was selected from 64 nominations in this third annual national contest. Everyday Democracy will present the two men (who work together but are not related) with a $10,000 award at a ceremony on December 5th in Hartford, CT.

Happy Johnson and Arthur Johnson have been working at the Lower Ninth Ward Center for the Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) in New Orleans for almost a decade, combining citizen engagement with environmental science to create equitable development and policy on climate resilience. According to Martha McCoy, Executive Director of Everyday Democracy, “there are many others across our country and globe who are facing the inequitable effects of climate change and want to tackle it through democratic ways of working. Arthur Johnson and Happy Johnson provide inspirational models of the kind of leadership we need, so that we can address critical climate issues in inclusive, sustainable ways.”

The Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) has been on the front lines of restoring the fragile ecosystem of the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans while strengthening the Ninth Ward’s civic fabric. CSED is committed to equity and social justice in an already underserved community that was completely devastated after Hurricane Katrina. Arthur Johnson and Happy Johnson have been leading the effort every step of the way.

The Lower Ninth Ward is still reeling from the effect of Hurricane Katrina. With a population that is 93% African-American, the neighborhood has been marked by an uneven recovery effort compared to other neighborhoods in New Orleans. Thirteen years after the storm there were still no supermarkets in the Lower Ninth, and residents had to fight the city to ensure that at least one school of the five that were closed after the storm would be rebuilt. A couple of months ago, one small grocery store was opened.

Arthur Johnson and Happy Johnson are leaders in and advocates for the neighborhood at the heart of CSED. They are an incredible example of steadfast and consistent leadership. They are homegrown and grassroots. In an environment where resources are drying up, they implement programs that have strengthened and restored both the ecological and civic infrastructure of their community.

Their work has elevated the voices of African American, Vietnamese, and Latino residents in conversations with state-level agencies, demonstrating that bridge building, equity, inclusion, and transparency make equitable, community-driven change possible and sustainable. Their commitment to racial and intergenerational equity is evident across all of their work. Arthur and Happy were nominated by Nicole Cabral of Public Agenda, and received several letters of support including one from the National Wildlife Federation that noted: “CSED’s sought-after expertise transcends politics and is regularly tapped for non-profit, mayoral and community appointments, panel discussions, presentations and public policy recommendations.”

“Community engagement is who we are.” – Arthur Johnson

Happy Johnson served as one of the youngest African Americans to drive an Emergency Response Vehicle in New Orleans post-Katrina and has dedicated his life to building cultural and environmental resilience. Additionally, his series of children’s picture books about wetlands restoration and disaster preparedness have been taught to thousands of students throughout the American South. Arthur Johnson noted, “We are thrilled to be recognized, because it will help us move the mission of equity and democracy in the Lower Ninth Ward in the face of many challenges.” He went on to say that “Having two black men being recognized for something like this is unusual and also a powerful symbol…. The kind of recognition your foundation gives doesn’t happen a lot in our country.”

Happy added that “the work is difficult, and recognition doesn’t happen often. This award is a great boost to our morale.” Happy Johnson was excited that he and Arthur were being recognized together, noting that this is the first time this has happened. Arthur reflected that people don’t work together across generations often enough, and that seasoned leaders and younger people should work together all the time. This thought aligns directly with the intergenerational equity work Everyday Democracy is focusing on, to complement its focus on racial equity through community dialogue to change.

This year, the Acher Award Committee also recognized these strong finalists for the award:

Catalyst Miami, FL; BRIDGE, Lee, MA; Lisa Jo Epstein, Philadelphia, PA; and, Ximena Zúñiga, Amherst, MA

There were also four honorable mentions:

Brandyn Keating, West Bridgewater, MA; Blontas (Winkie) Mitchell, Springfield, OH; The Phoenix Association, CT; and Roanoke Valley Points of Diversity, Roanoke, VA.

Paul J. Aicher and his wife Joyce were known for their generosity and creative genius. A discussion course at Penn State helped Paul find his own voice in civic life early on, and sparked his lifelong interest in helping others find theirs.

Paul founded the Topsfield Foundation and the Study Circles Resource Center, now called Everyday Democracy, in 1989. The organization has now worked with more than 600 communities throughout the country, helping bring together diverse people to understand and make progress on difficult issues, incorporating lessons learned into discussion guides and other resources, and offering training and resources to help develop the field and practice of deliberative democracy.

Learn more about Paul’s journey and the origins of Everyday Democracy.

The Paul and Joyce Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award honors work that creates opportunities for meaningful civic participation for all people, addresses racial inequities through dialogue and collective action, and shows the power of bridging all kinds of divides by making dialogue a regular part of how a community works.

The award winner will be celebrated in Hartford, CT on December 5th. More information to follow.

You can read the original version of this announcement on Everyday Democracy’s blog at www.everyday-democracy.org/news/3rd-annual-paul-j-aicher-leadership-democracy-award-announced.

Weds Webinar Roundup Ft MetroQuest – Register ASAP

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

This morning at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern, NCDD member organization MetroQuest is hosting the webinar “Transit Plans to LRTPs – MDOT’s Formula for Engaging 1000s ” that we encourage you to check out!

Here are the upcoming D&D online events happening over the next few weeks, including NCDD sponsor org The Courageous Leadership Project and partner org National Civic League, NCDD member orgs National Issues Forums Institute and Living Room Conversations, as well as, from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice.

Upcoming Online D&D Events – From Our Sponsors & Partners

The Courageous Leadership Project webinar – Brave, Honest Conversations

Wednesday, November 13th
9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

REGISTER: www.bravelylead.com/shop/freewebinarbhc

National Civic League AAC Promising Practices Webinar – Engaging your Community Outside of City Hall

Wednesday, November 13th
10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern

REGISTER: www.nationalcivicleague.org/resource-center/promising-practices/

From Our Members

MetroQuest – click here

Transit Plans to LRTPs – MDOT’s Formula for Engaging 1000s – Wednesday, October 30th at 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

Living Room Conversations – click here

Training (free): The Nuts & Bolts of Living Room Conversations – Thursday, October 31st at 2 pm Pacific, 5 pm Eastern
More Curious, Less Furious – Thursday, October 31st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
The Golden Rule in Politics – Sunday, November 3rd at 12 pm Pacific, 3 pm Eastern
2020 Election: Concerns and Aspirations – Thursday, November 7th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
Status and Privilege – Thursday, November 14th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
Relationships Over Politics: Connecting with Friends and Family – Thursday, November 21st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

National Issues Forums Institute – click here

November Cross-Campus CGA Forum Series on “A House Divided”: How Do We Get The Political System We Want? – Monday, November 4th to Saturday, November 9th at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern
November CGA Forum Series: How Can We Stop Mass Shootings in Our Communities? – Thursday, November 21st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

From the Network

International Association for Facilitators – click here

Becoming a CPF with the IAF (Mandarin) – Wednesday, November 13th at pm Pacific, 12 am Eastern

International City/County Management Association – click here

Having Difficult Conversations In Your Organization and Beyond – Thursday, November 14th at 9:30 am Pacific, 12:30 Eastern

Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) – click here

Education for sustainable Peace, an initiative by Aegis Trust – Friday, November 15th at 9:30 am Pacific, 12:30 Eastern

Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice – click here

Harm, Healing & Human Dignity: Catholics in the Restorative Justice Movement – Wednesday, November 20th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

Apply Now for Citizen University’s Civic Saturday Fellowship

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

Citizen University is now accepting applications for the 2020 Civic Saturday Fellowship Program! Civic Saturdays bring together communities “to cultivate a sense of shared civic purpose and moral clarity”. This nine-month fellowship is an opportunity to receive a three-day training in hosting Civic Saturday and bring these skills back to their communities. Priority deadline is November 8th and final applications are due Wednesday, November 20th. You can read more in the announcement below and find the original information on the CU site here.

Civic Saturday Fellowship Program

Apply today for the 2020 Fellowship Cycle!

All around the country, we are facing a crisis in civic life – people are becoming more socially isolated, disconnected from a sense of common purpose, and cynical about their own ability to affect change. Enter Civic Saturday: a gathering that brings communities together to cultivate a sense of shared civic purpose and moral clarity. At Civic Saturday, people get to know one another, share a meaningful communal experience, and leave inspired to become more powerful, responsible citizens.

The Civic Saturday fellowship prepares motivated, local leaders (or, as we like to say, civic catalysts!) to start their own Civic Saturday gatherings in their home communities. In this nine-month fellowship, civic catalysts will attend the Civic Seminary, a three-day training in Seattle with Citizen University staff, and return home ready to create lasting impact in the civic life of their communities.

Fellows will explore the ethical foundations of their beliefs (and those of others), learn to craft and deliver catalytic sermons that draw on both the current day and civic traditions of our society, and ultimately establish Civic Saturday where they live and work.

The Civic Saturday fellowship was launched in 2018 with the goal of training motivated, local leaders to start their own Civic Saturday gatherings, and bring a sense of shared civic purpose and moral clarity into the civic life of their communities. In the first two years, over 50 civic catalysts have trained with Citizen University’s team in Seattle to learn how to create this unique, joyful gathering.

APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW

Apply here and access the Fellowship Information Packet here.

Priority deadline: November 8, 2019
Application deadline: November 20, 2019

Training dates for this round will be on March 10-13, 2020 or April 21-24, 2020. Please read the information packet for complete details.
Applications for September and October training sessions will open in the spring of 2020.

You can find the original version of this announcement on Citizen University’s site at www.citizenuniversity.us/civicsaturdayfellowship/.

Wednesday Webinar Round-up Featuring NCDD Sponsor and More!

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

Here are the upcoming D&D online events happening over the next few weeks, including NCDD sponsor org The Courageous Leadership Project partner org National Civic League, NCDD member orgs MetroQuest, National Issues Forums Institute and Living Room Conversations, as well as, from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Upcoming Online D&D Events – From Our Sponsors & Partners

The Courageous Leadership Project webinar – Brave, Honest Conversations

Wednesday, November 13th
9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

REGISTER: www.bravelylead.com/shop/freewebinarbhc

National Civic League AAC Promising Practices Webinar – Engaging your Community Outside of City Hall

Wednesday, November 13th
10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern

REGISTER: www.nationalcivicleague.org/resource-center/promising-practices/

From Our Members

MetroQuest – click here

Transit Plans to LRTPs – MDOT’s Formula for Engaging 1000s – Wednesday, October 30th at 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

Living Room Conversations – click here
90-Minute Conversation w/ Optional 30-Minute Q & A with Hosts!

Guns & Responsibility – Tuesday, October 29th at 12 pm Pacific, 3 pm Eastern
More Curious, Less Furious – Thursday, October 31st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
2020 Election: Concerns and Aspirations – Thursday, November 7th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
Status and Privilege – Thursday, November 14th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

National Issues Forums Institute – click here

October CGA Forum on “A House Divided”: What Would We Have to Give Up to Get the Political System We Want? – Saturday, October 26th at 5 pm Pacific, 8 pm Eastern
November Cross-Campus CGA Forum Series on “A House Divided”: How Do We Get The Political System We Want? – Monday, November 4th to Saturday, November 9th at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern
November CGA Forum Series: How Can We Stop Mass Shootings in Our Communities? – Thursday, November 21st at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

From the Network

International Association for Facilitators – click here

Webinar: Becoming a CPF with the IAF – Thursday, October 24th at 4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern
Webinar: Becoming a CPF with the IAF (Mandarin) – Wednesday, November 13th at pm Pacific, 12 am Eastern

International City/County Management Association – click here

Having Difficult Conversations In Your Organization and Beyond – Thursday, November 14th at 9:30 am Pacific, 12:30 Eastern

Microgrant Opportunity Available for Forum Moderators

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

NCDD member organization, the National Issue Forums Institute recently announced a new microgrant opportunity from Net Impact to host a a forum around the NIFI issue guides, “A House Divided” or “A Nation in Debt”. The $150 microgrant is available for forum moderators from accredited US-based higher education institutes until May 1, 2020. We encourage you to read the announcement below, find the original version on the NIFI blog here, and apply for the funding today!

Announcing the Net Impact Microgrant Program

Net Impact is excited to offer a micro grant of $150 to moderators* who host a forum using the “A House Divided” or “A Nation in Debt” issue guides.

To receive the funding, apply by May 1, 2020 and host a forum using either the A House Divided or the A Nation in Debt issue guides before June 30, 2020. Applicants will receive more detailed information about the micro grant program from Net Impact.

Apply Now

*Moderators must be affiliated with an accredited US-based college or university to be considered eligible for the micro grant.

The National Issues Forums partner, Net Impact is excited to offer this micro grant. Net Impact is a nonprofit that inspires and equips emerging leaders to build a more just and sustainable world. Net Impact’s programs help new leaders broaden their thinking, build their networks, and scale their impact beyond just individual actions. One stand-out Net Impact program, Up to Us, is a rapidly growing, nonpartisan movement of young people who recognize that when it comes to securing their future opportunities, they have no better advocates than themselves. Up to Us is the only nationwide, campus-based campaign focused on building a sustainable economic and fiscal future for America’s next generation.

Up to Us, an initiative of Net Impact and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, is a rapidly growing, nonpartisan movement of young people who recognize that when it comes to securing their economic and fiscal future, they have no better advocates than themselves.

You can read the original version of this announcement on the National Issue Forums Institute blog at www.nifi.org/en/announcing-net-impact-micro-grant-program.

NIFI Holds Student-Focused CGA Forums Series in Nov.

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

We wanted to share these upcoming opportunities with NCDD member org, National Issues Forums Institute, for students to dive deeper into the Common Ground for Action online forums. The CGA forums will focus on the NIFI issue guide, A House Divided: What Do We Have To Give Up To Get The Political System We Want?, as part of a series of week-long student-focused forums. You can read about the series below and find the original version on NIFI’s site here.

Join In Cross-Campus Online Forums in November, 2019 – National Week of Conversation

Registration is now available for the student-focused November 2019 National Week of Conversation Common Ground for Action (CGA) forum series. This idea is the brainchild of faculty from the National Issues Forums (NIF) network who wanted their undergrads to have a chance to deliberate with students from other universities so they could hear different voices. We’ve done this the past two years and each year the pool of students and universities gets larger and more diverse. I’m hoping more faculty and students will join us. Since the forums will happen during local and state election week, we’ll be deliberating using the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) issue guide on A House Divided: What Do We Have To Give Up To Get The Political System We Want?

Here’s how it works:

There are five forums scheduled during the week – one per day at various times.

Monday November 4th at 1pm ET/10a PT
Tuesday November 5th at 7p ET/4p PT
Thursday November 7th at 9a ET/6a PT
Friday November 8th at 3p ET/12p PT
Saturday November 9th at 7p ET/4p PT

We will be organizing registered students into forums manually so we can try to have as much campus diversity as possible. Please encourage your students to register using their university emails so we can maximize diversity.

You can direct your students to participate in a forum date of your choice or you can have them participate in a forum that best fits their schedule. The day before the forum, registered students will receive an email with their forum Join ID and a copy of the issue guide. Please (please, please, please!) encourage them to read the guide before their forum.

I hope to host as many of your students in a CGA deliberative forum as possible. Please send as many as you think would benefit from deliberating to this event!

Want to participate? Email Kara Dillard at kdillard@nifi.org for registration details.

You can read the original version of this information on the National Issues Forums Institute blog at www.nifi.org/en/join-cross-campus-online-forums-november-2019-national-week-conversation.

Register for Next Week’s Online Facilitation Unconference!

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

The sixth Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU) is happening on Oct 7-13, 2019! This digital gathering is hosted by the Center for Applied Community Engagement LLC, and is a great opportunity for anyone interested in virtual facilitation – no previous experience needed! OFU is part of the International Facilitation Week and members of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) can receive a 30% discount! This global event is happening next week so make sure you register and get your tickets ASAP! Follow OFU on Twitter with the hashtag #OFU19 for more #FacWeek updates. You can read the announcement below for more info or find the original on the OFU Exchange site here.

Online Facilitation Unconference 2019

Welcome to the sixth Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU), the week-long international learning exchange exploring the art and practice of facilitating in virtual environments.

Join us on October 7-13, 2019. Tickets on sale now!

Who should attend?

OFU aims to connect people from these three broad groups:

Facilitators
Practitioners from other fields whose work also includes facilitation
Technology providers

We welcome participants from all backgrounds and across all levels of expertise regarding facilitation and the use of online technology.

For example:

You are a senior facilitator who has just recently started to deliver your services in virtual settings. Do you have questions or roadblocks you’d like to discuss?
Or maybe you are already an expert in virtual facilitation. Are you currently exploring some cutting edge method and would like to try it out in a friendly, constructive environment?
Or maybe you work in an entirely different field (e.g., business management, education, the non-profit sector) and you are frequently tasked with leading productive online meetings or expect your staff to be able to so. Do you have insights you can share? Or are you looking for approaches to training that fit your needs?

What to expect?

OFU provides an opportunity for attendees to explore, share, learn, and connect with colleagues from around the world. We hope you will:

Explore a wide range of topics related to online facilitation
Find answers to questions or challenges you have encountered in your work
Discover new tools, methods, resources, etc.
Make new connections with colleagues from around the globe!
Come away with new energy and plenty of new ideas to try out next!

As is the nature of unconferences, our attendees are active participants who will create the agenda collaboratively based on their shared interests and needs. Yes, you will help shape what will be talked about!

Event timeline

October 7–9 – Join one of several live welcome sessions (each approximately 45 minutes long via videoconferencing) as well as several other pre-scheduled sessions. More details soon!
October 10–12 – Unconference sessions
October 13 – Room for spill-over sessions (if needed)
Later in October – Event follow-up

A few key things to note:

The Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU) is an annual learning exchange on the art and practice of facilitating in virtual environments. It is a community-driven event that brings together people from diverse backgrounds from all around the world whose work includes, or who otherwise have an interest in, facilitating in the virtual realm.
OFU is an event for newbies and experts alike. Whether you are a seasoned facilitator pro or a beginner, whether you are already highly skilled using technology for this work or still trying to figure out the possibilities – OFU provides a venue where you can ask and answer questions, share and solicit advice, discuss your latest project, challenge or idea, explore new tools, discover new tricks, and find like-minded colleagues.
Aside from a handful of pre-scheduled sessions, OFU is an unconference (an event where the participants co-create the agenda). OFU is a blank slate for you to pitch your ideas in collaboration with fellow attendees. The agenda will emerge based on your and everyone else’s needs and interests.
OFU is a not-for-profit event. It is important for us to keep the event open and accessible for everyone who is passionate about the topic. If you aren’t in a position to pay full price, please make use of our low-income options and encourage others to do the same.
Sometime in early September, we will announce a more detailed schedule that will specify the various main time slots during which the majority of unconference sessions are expected to be held. These time slots are optimized for trans-continental collaboration and sharing (Americas, Europe/Africa, and Asia/Australia). We highly encourage our session hosts to schedule their sessions within these designated time slots as much as possible so as to maximize global participation.
Session hosts are encouraged to record or otherwise document their sessions. Following each session, any available recordings or documentation will be posted to the OFU website in a timely manner.
OFU works best the more people contribute. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn and share about facilitation in virtual environments and bring along your friends and colleagues from around the world!

Learn more about the session offerings on the OFU Eventbrite site at www.eventbrite.com/e/online-facilitation-unconference-2019-registration-71022166211.

You can find the original version of this on the OFU site at www.ofuexchange.net/.

Civic Studies

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Category Archives: field news

D&D Webinar Double Header Today & Register for the NCDD-EvDem Confab Tomo

Upcoming Online D&D Events –

NCDD Confab Call Featuring Everyday Democracy

From Our Sponsors & Partners

From Our Members

From the Network

MANY New Job & Internship Opportunities in the D&D Field

New Job & Internship Opportunities in D&D Field – November 11, 2019

Discount Available for New D&D in Higher Education Primer

For the Next Generation of Democratic Citizens

EvDem Announces New Leadership in Democracy Awardee

3rd Annual Paul J. Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award Announced

Weds Webinar Roundup Ft MetroQuest – Register ASAP

Upcoming Online D&D Events – From Our Sponsors & Partners

From Our Members

From the Network

Apply Now for Citizen University’s Civic Saturday Fellowship

Civic Saturday Fellowship Program

APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW

Wednesday Webinar Round-up Featuring NCDD Sponsor and More!

Upcoming Online D&D Events – From Our Sponsors & Partners

From Our Members

From the Network

Microgrant Opportunity Available for Forum Moderators

Announcing the Net Impact Microgrant Program

NIFI Holds Student-Focused CGA Forums Series in Nov.

Join In Cross-Campus Online Forums in November, 2019 – National Week of Conversation

Register for Next Week’s Online Facilitation Unconference!

Online Facilitation Unconference 2019