Webinar Recording: Social Distancing Meets Public Engagement

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Courtney Breese

Last week’s webinar, Social Distancing Meets Public Engagement, was our largest to date, with over 325 participants! This webinar, co-hosted with our partners at the National Civic League, featured Wendy Willis, Executive Director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, and Larry Schooler, Director of Consensus Building and Community Engagement, CD&P. Wendy and Larry showcased strategies for virtual public engagement in this time of social isolation.

This webinar included information about leveraging government access television to enhance the efforts of local government to connect with their residents and stakeholders. Presenters also talked about differences in various forms of online engagement and when it might make sense to use them, as well as tips for turning your in-person meetings into virtual ones.

This webinar is full of resources! Check out the recording of this session at this link. The PowerPoint slides, which contain loads of information, can be viewed separately here.

Additionally, a whole host of resources and guidance were shared by presenters and participants alike in the chat.

Thanks to our presenters, Wendy and Larry, the National Civic League for hosting with us, and everyone who participated!

If you have benefitted from events like this one, please consider making a contribution to help support the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation: www.ncdd.org/donate. NCDD is a small nonprofit and we have expanded our programming to be responsive to our community during the pandemic. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated and go directly to helping support our staff.

Watch the Confab on Hope for Democracy!

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Courtney Breese

We enjoyed hosting the March Confab Call featuring the new book Hope for Democracy! For those who may have missed it, or those who want to refer back, this post has all the important information from the event.

In Hope for Democracy, John Gastil and Katherine R. Knobloch introduce new tools for tamping down hyper-partisanship and placing citizens at the heart of the democratic process. They showcase the Citizens’ Initiative Review, which convenes a demographically-balanced random sample of citizens to study statewide ballot measures. Citizen panelists interrogate advocates, opponents, and experts, then write an analysis that distills their findings for voters. Gastil and Knobloch reveal how this process has helped voters better understand the policy issues placed on their ballots. Placed in the larger context of deliberative democratic reforms, Hope for Democracy shows how citizens and public officials can work together to bring more rationality and empathy into modern politics.

The Confab was a great conversation about the Citizens Initiative Review and how it has improved democratic participation in the places it has been utilized. The recording of this event can be found at this link. Our participants asked a whole lot of great questions and our presenters shared several helpful links – if you are curious to see those, you can check them out here.

Our sincere thanks to John Gastil, Katie Knobloch, as well as Robin Teater and Linn Davis from Healthy Democracy for presenting this session. Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the book! If you choose to purchase through Amazon, don’t forget to go to smile.amazon.com and ask Amazon to donate a portion to NCDD!

To learn more about NCDD’s Confab Calls and hear recordings of others, visit www.ncdd.org/events/confabs. We love holding these events and we want to continue to elevate the work of our field with Confab Calls and Tech Tuesdays. It is through your generous contributions to NCDD that we can keep doing this work! That’s why we want to encourage you to support NCDD by making a donation or becoming an NCDD member today (you can also renew your membership by clicking here). Thank you!

New Report on Transforming Relationships Between Community and Local Elected Officials

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Keiva Hummel

NCDD member org The Harwood Institute, in collaboration with fellow NCDD member The Kettering Foundation, recently announced the release of their new report, Seeking a New Relationship with Communities: How Local Elected Officials Want to Bridge Divides, Distrust, and Doubts. In this report, The Harwood Institute interviewed 36 elected officials from cities across the US about their perceptions, experiences, and aspirations when engaging with their communities. You can read the article below, as well as find the original version of this piece and the actual report on Harwood’s site here.

Seeking a New Relationship with Communities: How Local Elected Officials Want to Bridge Divides, Distrust, and Doubts

In 2019, The Harwood Institute interviewed 36 leaders to learn how local elected officials view and feel about their interactions with community members. We heard about the tenuous rapport between local officials and the people they serve and, more specifically, the state of outreach and engagement between them.

Our interviews revealed a dynamic between officials and the public that is uncomfortably strained by distrust in government. According to the leaders we interviewed, people harbor deep doubts about their leaders, and those leaders are seeking a new footing to help them reach past those doubts and past the fatigue and limitations that surround traditional outreach and engagement methods.

The resulting report details the hopes, challenges, and perspectives of local elected officials as they engage with communities. The report was released in partnership with The Kettering Foundation.

You can find the original version of this Harwood Institute article at www.theharwoodinstitute.org/news/2020/2/3/seeking-a-new-relationship-with-communities-how-local-elected-officials-want-to-bridge-divides-distrust-and-doubts.

“Democracy Rebellion” Documentary Highlights Civic Action

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Keiva Hummel

NCDD member organization National Issues Forums Institute shared on their blog an exciting new documentary, The Democracy Rebellion, produced by Pulitzer Prize winner Hedrick Smith. The documentary highlights several examples of grassroots democratic reform movements that have been happening across the US. You can read the article below and find the original version of it on the NIFI site here.

While we are on NIFI updates, we’d like to wish a huge congratulations to NCDD Board Member Betty Knighton who has become NIFI’s President! We are so grateful to have her on our Board and excited for her to also assume this new role!

In fact, Betty will be on our February Confab call in just a few hours, co-presenting with Kara Dillard and Darla Minnich on the Hidden Common Ground Initiative – a joint project of USA TODAY, Public Agenda, the Kettering Foundation, and NIFI. This free call will take place on Today, February 20th from 2-3 pm Eastern, 11 am-12 pm Pacific. Register now so you don’t miss out on this event!

Watch the PBS Documentary “The Democracy Rebellion” Produced by Hedrick Smith

Journalist Hedrick Smith is the executive producer of the recently-released PBS documentary, The Democracy Rebellion. In the 56-minute film, Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter and editor, documents a number of grassroots efforts around the country that have made a difference in creating real democratic reform.

The stories told in the documentary include: exposure of dark money funding in California; a push for public funding of campaigns in Connecticut; gerrymander reform in Florida; and other examples of citizens organizing, marching, and working together for positive change.

Clips, photos, and more information about the documentary can be found on the PBS page featuring The Democracy Rebellion for viewing.

Not Washington, but grassroots America. Not stale gridlock, but fresh reforms. Not negative ads and billionaire donors, but positive change and citizen activists pressing for gerrymander reform, voting rights for former felons, limits on lobbyists, and winning surprising victories to make elections fairer and more inclusive in states as varied as Florida, California, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, Missouri, Utah and more.

The documentary is also available to watch on YouTube.

Find more information about democracy reform efforts around the country, and about Hedrick Smith’s work, on the Let’s Reclaim the American Dream website.

You can find this article on the National Issues Forums Institute website at www.nifi.org/en/watch-pbs-documentary-democracy-rebellion-produced-hedrick-smith.

Weds Webinar Roundup Feat NCL Today and Confab Tomo!

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Keiva Hummel

Make sure you register to join NCDD partner org National Civic League‘s webinar on Taking Climate Actions at the Local Level (at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern) and National Issues Forums Institute‘s webinar on Deliberative Conversation: Division in Our Country (at 5 pm Pacific, 8 pm Eastern). Tomorrow is our next NCDD Confab at 2pm Eastern on the Hidden Common Ground Initiative – register now!

Here are the upcoming D&D online events happening over the next few weeks, including NCDD sponsor org The Courageous Leadership Project, NCDD member orgs Living Room Conversations, as well as, from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) 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 – From NCDD

February Confab featuring the Hidden Common Ground Initiative

Confab bubble image

Thursday, February 20th
11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

TOMORROW is the February Confab Call featuring the Hidden Common Ground Initiative, a joint project of USA TODAY, Public Agenda, the Kettering Foundation, and National Issues Forums.

Are there aspects of public issues where Americans can agree and work together to solve problems? Let’s tackle this question in Hidden Common Ground, the national election year public deliberation initiative. At the heart of the initiative are National Issues Forums in communities and online across the country about compelling public issues: health care, immigration, the economy, and divisiveness. USA TODAY will provide press coverage and commentary, Public Agenda will publish issue-based research, and Kettering Foundation will develop nonpartisan discussion guides. Since there are too few opportunities for Americans to discover their “hidden common ground,” participating in the year-long initiative is vitally important.

Please join us to learn more, to explore local partnerships and media connections, and to access free materials to use in your communities.

REGISTER: http://ncdd.org/community/confabreg-feb2020

From Our Sponsors & Partners

National Civic League AAC Promising Practices Webinar – Taking Climate Actions at the Local Level

Wednesday, February 19th
1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern

TODAY! – Participants will hear from two cities that are taking on the issue of sustainability with resident-driven initiatives. The Office of Sustainability in Chula Vista, CA will discuss its Climate Action Challenge; the Sustainability Division in Lakewood, CO will discuss its sustainability plan, as well as the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program.

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

The Courageous Leadership Project webinar – Why are these people yelling at me? Understanding outrage and opposition in the public arena

Wednesday, March 4th
9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

Brave, honest conversations are how we solve the problems in our lives, organizations and communities. When we have brave, honest conversations we create connection, build trust and strengthen relationships – and when that happens, anything is possible. This webinar series covers a different topic each month – all tied to building skills, knowledge and leadership for brave, honest conversations. Some webinars are free, some have a small charge.

REGISTER: www.bravelylead.com/shop/freewebinarbhc

From Our Members

Living Room Conversations online – click here

Race and Ethnicity: A Special Three-Part Series – (1st one has passed) Fridays, Feb 21 & Feb 28th
Fake News – Thurs, Feb 27th
Mental Health – Sun, March 1st
Lunch Hour: Technology and Relationships – Tues, March 3rd
Weave the Social Fabric – Weds, March 4th
The America We Want to Be – Weds, March 4th
Parenting: Protecting and Empowering Children – Weds, March 11th

National Issues Forums Institute webinars – click here

Deliberative Conversation: Division in Our Country
- Weds, Feb 19th
- Tues, Feb 25th
Hidden Common Ground Initiative: Health Care: How Can We Bring Costs Down While Getting the Care We Need? – Fri, March 13th

From the Network

International Association for Facilitators – click here

Becoming a CPF with the IAF – Fri, Feb 21st
IAF Methods Library Webinar – Fri, Feb 28th

Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice – click here

Building Mutual Understanding Between Community and Police – Weds, Feb 19th

Exciting Updates from the Interactivity Foundation!

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Keiva Hummel

We wanted to share a couple of updates from NCDD member org The Interactivity Foundation, including some resources that may be helpful for those working on dialogue and deliberation efforts on campuses. First off, IF recently gave their website a fresh look and if you haven’t seen it yet, we encourage you to head on over there to check it out! Secondly, they posted about a day-long workshop organized by The Deliberative Pedagogy Institute last Fall, which featured several heavy hitters from the NCDD Coalition. In the post, IF kindly shared their Student Facilitation Workbook for free and a reminder about a new D&D text called, Creating Space for Democracy: A Primer on Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education, that has an incredible line-up of contributors.

You can read the article below and find the original version on IF’s site here.

Why do we need deliberative pedagogy?

Why do we need deliberative pedagogy? The short answer is that we can’t solve complex social problems if we can’t get together and talk about them. It seems simple, right? But in our current era of political polarization and retreat into comfortable, familiar social bubbles—where do we get together to have genuine interactions with people who have different opinions, views, and values? And have we lost (if ever collectively had) the skills to productively talk with one another once we are at the table together?

The Deliberative Pedagogy Institute: Creating Space for Democracy, hosted by Providence College and co-sponsored by Campus Compact for Southern New England, offered a full-day workshop on November 15th for faculty, staff, students, and administrators designed to deepen their understanding of current campus-based democratic practices that foster dialogue, inclusion, and civic action at colleges and universities.

Through plenary sessions, workshops, and networking, participants were able to:

Learn about various approaches to dialogue and deliberation;
Develop an understanding of “what works” to empower students to talk across differences, build leadership, and practice civic agency; and
Build a network and relationships with practitioners.

Presenters at the Deliberative Pedagogy Institute represented some of the leading voices of the deliberative democracy movement, including representatives from Everyday Democracy, Essential Partners, the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation, New Hampshire Listens, the National Issues Forums Institute, the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network, and the Interactivity Foundation.

IF fellow, Shannon Wheatley Hartman, facilitated a workshop on “How to Design a Course That Empower Students to Be Facilitators of Exploratory Discussion.” Using IF pedagogy, modules, and a Facilitation Workbook, participants explored how best to incorporate student facilitation into the classroom and “level up” skills and capacity to then organize campus-wide and community-based exploratory discussions. To learn more about IF educational approaches and materials, please contact Shannon Wheatley Hartman at esw@interactivityfoundation.org

Also available for purchase on Amazon is the Creating Space for Democracy: A Primer on Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education.

You can read this article on IF’s site at www.interactivityfoundation.org/why-do-we-need-deliberative-pedagogy/.

National Civic Review 2020 Winter Edition is Now Available!

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Keiva Hummel

Hot off the digital press! NCDD member org, The National Civic League, just announced the release of the 2020 Winter Edition of the National Civic Review. This esteemed quarterly journal offers insights and examples on civic engagement and deliberative governance from around the country. Friendly reminder that NCDD members receive the digital copy of the National Civic Review for free! (Find the access code below.) We strongly encourage our members to check out this great resource and there is an open invite for NCDD members to contribute to the NCR. You can read about NCR in the post below and find it on NCL’s site here.

National Civic Review: Winter 2020 – Code: NCDD19

The Winter 2020 issue of the National Civic Review is dedicated to journalist and author Neal R. Peirce, an indefatigable advocate for democratic governance, regionalism, civic engagement, and positive community change. A frequent contributor to this journal during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Neal served on the Board of Directors of the National Civic League from 1986 to 1995. He passed away on December 27, 2019.

To access this edition, go to the table of contents where you will be prompted to enter your unique access code: NCDD19

One of the Nation’s Oldest and Most Respected Journals of Civic Affairs
Its cases studies, reports, interviews and essays help communities learn about the latest developments in collaborative problem-solving, civic engagement, local government innovation and democratic governance. Some of the country’s leading doers and thinkers have contributed articles to this invaluable resource for elected officials, public managers, nonprofit leaders, grassroots activists, and public administration scholars seeking to make America’s communities more inclusive, participatory, innovative and successful.

Dynamic Line-Up of D&D Webinars – Happening TODAY!

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Keiva Hummel

Today has an exciting line-up of D&D webinars that we strongly encourage folks to sign up for ASAP! FOUR great webinars starting with NCDD sponsor org The Courageous Leadership Project and their “Brave, Honest Conversations” webinar at 9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern. There are two webinars after that at 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern, one from NCDD member org National Civic League webinar on “Collaborations to Address Mental Health” and the other from NCDD member org MetroQuest, “How SCDOT Engaged 13,000+ Residents on a Tiny Budget”. Last though certainly not least, Zehr Institute‘s “Beyond Circles and Conferences: Everyday Restorative Justice Practices in PK-12” at 1:30 pm Pacific, 4:30 pm Eastern.

Additional upcoming D&D online events from NCDD member orgs National Issues Forums Institute and Living Room Conversations, as well as, from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), and Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict.