![]() Discussing their involvement in Civic Season - the period between Juneteenth and July Fourth - staff from the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh and the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site highlight the initiative's goal to educate young adults about U.S. history and civics through diverse events nationwide. Maggie Gamson, a communications assistant for Made By Us and a student at the University of Central Florida, explores their emphasis on engaging Gen Z to prepare them for leadership roles by understanding and appreciating American history, showcased through activities like scavenger hunts, naturalization ceremonies, happy hours, and more. Read the blog post below and learn more here.
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![]() In a recent conversation, Rosa Zubizarreta from the Deliberative Democracy Digest, and Oliver Escobar emphasize the critical but often overlooked role of group facilitation in democratic innovations. Escobar argues that without facilitators, structural inequalities and power dynamics go unchallenged, making facilitation essential for egalitarian and respectful interactions. They highlight the invisibility of facilitation in contemporary society and advocate for intentional design of participatory spaces to ensure fairness and empathy, drawing on both Indigenous practices and modern social sciences. Read more in the blog post below and check out the conversation here. ![]() NCDD member and former board chair, Martín Carcasson’s has shared his working paper, "Imagining the Robust Deliberative City," which highlights the need for meaningful public discourse in an era of eroding trust and rampant misinformation. He distinguishes between reactive public opinion and thoughtful public judgment, advocating for the latter. Carcasson argues that fostering robust public judgment is best achieved at the local level, where cities and counties can model democratic engagement through inclusive, collaborative discussions. He provides a road-map for local governments to build capacity for democratic engagement, emphasizing the creation of deliberative spaces, inclusivity, citizen education, and trust-building. Read more in the blog post below and find the full working paper here. Many suburban developments built in the last century are now facing urgent repair needs. NCDD member, Miles Fidelman, an engineer with extensive experience, is addressing these challenges in his community of Nagog Woods, a 50-year-old condominium complex. He highlights the necessity of comprehensive measures and collaboration to avoid skyrocketing costs and catastrophic failures. Fidelman invites the community to follow his journey of organizing and financing major renovations, aiming to create sustainable, affordable, and well-maintained neighborhoods. Through this initiative, he seeks to provide a blueprint for other communities to follow. Thanks to Miles Fidelman for sharing this announcement with the NCDD network! Learn more in the blog post below and read the article here.
Roshan Bliss has been promoted to Director of Democracy Innovations here at the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation! In his new role, he will lead the Democracy TV project, which aims to showcase the power of deliberative democracy on television by featuring diverse Americans collaborating on community issues. Roshan, based in Denver, is a certified mediator with over a decade of experience and was instrumental in launching Denver’s first participatory budgeting process. Please join us in wishing him congratulations! Learn more about Roshan and his work in the blog post below.
![]() "The Futures Happening: Democracy Edition" was a generative and interactive gathering focused on building positive narratives and possibilities for democracy's future. Led by Lisa Kay Solomon, the event emphasized imagining and creating desirable futures rather than merely reacting to current challenges. It featured immersive activities, diverse voices, and a "civic imagineer" gallery showcasing civic innovations. The gathering aimed to empower participants as "civic futurists" to shape a thriving civic society and has already sparked significant impact and connections across various sectors. Read the blog post below and learn more here. ![]() Celebrate this Fourth of July with the return of A Braver Way podcast for its second season, featuring real-life stories from across the political spectrum. Their first episode aired July 2, 2024, and dove into the fierce rivalry between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, exploring how their partisan clashes can inform our political disagreements today. Tune in to discover how Americans are taking the toxicity out of politics and fostering productive conversations. Read the blog post below, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or learn more here. Participate in Social Pinpoint's 'Engaging for Equity' Survey: Share Your Insights by July 8th7/3/2024 ![]() NCDD friends, Social Pinpoint, announced a 12-day survey aimed at identifying challenges and successful practices for engaging underrepresented community members. The survey seeks to gather diverse opinions to address equity with innovative solutions. Participants' anonymous insights will contribute to a report on inclusive engagement practices and be presented at the TRB's 2nd Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity. The survey closes on Monday, July 8th, and participants will receive a copy of the final report. Read the blog post below and take the survey here. ![]() NCDD friends, Campus Compact, supported by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, announced the Scaling Discourse in Higher Education Project to enhance students' abilities in democratic engagement and address societal challenges. The project will create a virtual platform and resources for faculty, staff, and administrators, available free of charge. Immediate input is sought through a survey to shape these resources, with a campus resource guide to be released this summer addressing current issues. Data submitted before July 4th will help shape some immediate resources, while data submitted after will shape our planning and implementation over the coming academic year. Read the blog post below, learn more and take the survey here. Join us today for the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy launch event, "The Role of Mediators and Facilitators in Healing U.S. Democracy," at 9am PT/12pm ET. Co-hosted by NCDD and various partners, this event unites practitioners in support of democracy during a time of significant societal divisions. Learn more below and register here.
In addition to this, we have news on the recent NCDD leadership change. At the beginning of June, Keiva Hummel stepped into the role of Executive Director. She has already launched new initiatives to strengthen and expand NCDD's impact, such as the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy. In the spirit of continuing to build NCDD into a robust organization, we are dedicated to strengthening our capacity and network. We invite all our members, partners, and the wider community to join us in these efforts. Your financial contributions and support are vital to advancing our mission of promoting dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement. Learn more details in the blog post below. |
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