​The National Civic League has announced the 20 finalists for the 2025 All-America City Award, highlighting communities that are leading the way in tackling climate change through inclusive civic engagement. These finalists represent diverse regions across the U.S. and have been selected for their innovative, collaborative approaches to creating sustainable and resilient communities. The award emphasizes the transformative power of community dialogue and action, showcasing the impact of collective efforts in addressing environmental challenges. These communities provide valuable models for others seeking to engage residents in environmental sustainability. Read more in the blog post below.

​Citizen University’s founder, Eric Liu, has introduced "The Five P’s," a practical framework for civic engagement during challenging political times. This approach—Patterns, Perspective, People, Place, and Power—guides citizens in staying informed, building community, and taking meaningful action without feeling overwhelmed. Liu’s insights align closely with NCDD’s mission, offering a valuable resource for those dedicated to dialogue and deliberation. As an NCDD Friend, Citizen University continues to foster responsible, empowered citizenship. Read more in the blog post below.

​The Sustained Dialogue Institute (SDI), a valued Member Organization of the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD), offers a powerful methodology for addressing conflict and building stronger communities. With global reach, SDI’s approach fosters deeper understanding and long-term transformation across diverse settings. Read the blog post below to learn more.

The Interactivity Foundation, a valued NCDD Sustaining Partner, is empowering young people through their Path to Purpose initiative. This includes the newly launched Path to Purpose: Making a Difference journal and a free companion User Guide for educators, mentors, and parents. These resources offer step-by-step discussion plans, adaptable teaching strategies, and reflection prompts to help guide youth in discovering their values and creating meaningful change. Whether you're an educator or community leader, you can access these tools to inspire purposeful action. Read more in the blog post below.

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) is offering two upcoming online courses designed to enhance the skills of professionals in public participation and community engagement. The Designing & Leading Public Participation course (April 14-17, 2025) will help practitioners master the design and planning phases of public participation, including stakeholder analysis, equity analysis, and developing engagement objectives. The Working with Conflict and High Emotion course (April 15-23, 2025) will focus on de-escalating conflict and managing emotional dynamics in public participation processes. Both courses are ideal for professionals seeking to deepen their expertise in public dialogue and decision-making. Read more in the blog post below.

The Interactivity Foundation recently announced the launch of its new website and newsletter, designed to serve as comprehensive resources for learning about the foundation's mission, values, and initiatives. The website offers detailed information on current projects, past accomplishments, and valuable resources for interactive learning and engagement. Visitors can also subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about events, workshops, and funding opportunities. The foundation aims to strengthen democracy through meaningful discussions, fostering collaboration among practitioners, educators, and civic professionals. Read more in the blog post below and visit the new website here!

"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. 

Weave's Social Trust Index and Map show how different neighborhood traits are linked to social trust. They look at behaviors, intentions, and spaces separately but recognize how they all work together. The data, updated annually from sources like Esri and SafeGraph, is collected locally to be specific and timely. Experts chose data linked to social trust, and Datastory analyzed it into easy-to-understand scores. The Index covers community engagement, intentions, and social spaces to help neighbors connect. Check out the blog post below, read the article, and explore the Social Trust Index Map here. 

Thank you to everyone who participated and provided feedback on NCDD's response to the White House Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) recent Request for Information on developing a Federal framework for Public Participation and Community Engagement (PPCE). The final response, reflecting input from our coalition, is now available on the Federal government's site. Additionally, several NCDD members submitted their own comments, which are linked in the blog post below.

TODAY - May 29th from 1-3 PM Eastern, will be a virtual event hosted by The Open Government Secretariat titled "Strengthening Democracy and Improving Our Communities Across All Levels of Government: The United States Experience". This session will explore open government approaches and their impact on democracy and communities across the United States. Learn more in the post and register to join here.