Essential Conversations: Re-envisioning the Art of Convening for the Next 30 Years will take place on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, from 9:00–10:30 AM CT (US), offering an Essential Conversation on *Re-envisioning the Art of Convening: Purposeful Leadership Re-imagined*. This session introduces innovative leadership tools developed by the Art of Convening (AoC) Re-Envisioning Team to help leaders create spaces of welcome, safety, and belonging amid the complexity of our time, with conversation starters including CPL co-founder Craig Neal and AoC Re-Envisioning Team members Kim Kristenson-Lee, Brent Schmidt, Cecily Victor, Pamela Meade, Hart Edmonds, Amber Yang, Patricia Neal, Ric Hinkie, Jerry Chang, and Terry Chapman.

​The Democracy Resources Hub (DRH) and NCDD will offer a webinar titled "Using Civic Technology to Facilitate Meaningful Engagement" featuring speakers Lucas Cioffi from QiqoChat, Josh Lerner from PeoplePowered, Ramon Perez from the Digital Democracy Project, and Ann Reidy from the Civic Health Project sharing real-world examples of how communities use digital platforms to listen, deliberate, and decide together across distance and difference. The training addresses critical questions facing dialogue and deliberation practitioners: how digital systems complement rather than replace face-to-face facilitation, what frameworks ensure online participation remains accountable and democratic rather than amplifying power imbalances, and how hybrid approaches create more inclusive processes reaching people facing barriers to in-person participation while maintaining depth and relationship-building. For NCDD members and the civic engagement field, this training offers practical guidance for thinking critically about both possibilities and limitations of civic technology—understanding when digital tools genuinely expand participation and when they risk reproducing or deepening existing inequities in who gets heard and whose voices shape decisions.

The Dialogue and Deliberation Resources Hub and NCDD are offering a timely new training, Facilitating Shared Sensemaking in Complexity, focused on helping communities navigate decision-making when facts are contested and trust is fragile. Featuring practitioners from National Issues Forums Institute, the Federation for Innovation in Democracy, News Ambassadors, and Diapraxis, the session explores how dialogue, deliberation, and collective learning can be integrated to move groups from adversarial debate toward shared understanding. Participants will examine practical approaches to balancing expert knowledge with lived experience, designing transparent and inclusive processes, and supporting groups to reach “true enough” common ground for collective action amid uncertainty. For practitioners facing stalled conversations, polarized narratives, and information distrust, the training offers concrete strategies for facilitating learning together when complexity and disagreement are unavoidable.

​The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is hosting American Democracy Project (ADP) at Compact26 on March 15-16, 2026, in Chicago, strategically scheduled before Campus Compact's annual meeting to strengthen coalitions and share strategies across organizations committed to democratic engagement and civic learning in higher education. ADP, which has worked with nearly 300 state colleges and universities for over 20 years to prepare informed, active citizens who engage constructively across different viewpoints, is seeking proposals by January 5, 2026 for poster sessions and ignite talks showcasing innovative campus projects on topics ranging from election reform and student voice to digital civic engagement, navigating difference, and sustainability as democratic practice. The conference promises facilitated discussions, opportunities to shape ADP's future, professional development for civic educators, and space to build community, embodying NCDD's principle that addressing complex democratic challenges requires bringing diverse voices together through sustained relationships and shared commitment.

The Sustained Dialogue Institute’s January 7–9, 2025, three-session training series offers community members a comprehensive introduction to Sustained Dialogue, a relationship-centered peacebuilding process designed to help groups move through conflict toward collaborative action. Rooted in a five-stage methodology developed by Dr. Harold Saunders, the training equips facilitators with skills in deep listening, emotional regulation, equitable facilitation, and crafting questions that foster understanding across differences. Accessible to participants of varied backgrounds and experience levels, the workshop models inclusive learning practices while preparing graduates to co-facilitate dialogue groups and join a supportive practitioner network. Ultimately, the series strengthens local democratic capacity by helping communities build the relationships needed to address complex issues constructively.

​Round Sky Solutions is offering a free webinar on January 27, 2026, introducing practical tools for teams striving to share power and collaborate more effectively. Drawing from the organization’s long-running Cooperative Leadership Certification Program, the session will feature somatic grounding practices, frameworks for addressing tension in meetings, and opportunities to connect with others navigating the challenges of democratic management. The article highlights how shared-power teams often struggle with unclear processes and entrenched dynamics, and explains how Round Sky’s approach—rooted in mindful facilitation, inclusive decision-making, and supportive peer learning—helps leaders build more equitable and collaborative organizations. The webinar also serves as a preview of the full 11-week program beginning in March, with applications due February 8, 2026.

The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation is proud to feature the Reflective Practice & SRI® International Certificate Program, a seven-session virtual professional development opportunity running from January 28 through July 22, 2026. Designed for mediators, Ombuds, peacebuilders, and dialogue professionals, the program provides a structured, collaborative space for deep reflection on practice. Guided by Dr. Tzofnat Peleg-Baker and Dr. Bryan Hanson, EdD, participants explore the Structured Reflection Intervention (SRI®) framework to strengthen self-awareness, refine interventions, and deepen professional mastery. Limited to 15 participants, the program fosters connection within the Community of Reflective Practitioners (CoRP)—a global network supporting continued growth and cross-cultural learning. Early registration by November 30, 2025, offers a 20% discount, with additional savings for colleagues who enroll together. This program embodies NCDD’s mission to advance dialogue, learning, and excellence among those bridging divides in complex social and organizational conflicts.

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) will co-host a webinar with Colorado State University Center for Public Deliberation, titled “Talking Democracy (or Not): How Local Newsrooms Choose Their Words” on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, from 9–10 a.m. Pacific (12 p.m.–1 p.m. Eastern). This post-2024 election discussion will explore how the language used by local journalists and civic practitioners shapes public understanding and participation in democracy. Drawing on new research from Press Forward and PACE’s Civic Language Perceptions Project, the event will examine how words like community, service, and connection often foster more engagement than explicit democracy-focused terms. Participants will hear from experts in journalism and civic engagement about how newsrooms can communicate democratic values effectively while building trust across differences. The session aims to equip attendees with practical tools for inclusive, authentic civic communication that bridges divides and strengthens community participation.

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) is proud to partner with the 2025 Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU), taking place from November 17 to 21, a global, participant-driven event that explores how dialogue and collaboration are evolving in the “Intelligent Age.” Centered on the theme "Rethinking How We Work Together in the Intelligent Age," OFU invites facilitators, educators, and community leaders to examine how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping connections and participation. True to its democratic spirit, OFU empowers attendees to co-create the agenda through interactive formats like World Café, Open Space Technology, and Pro-Action Café, ensuring peer learning and collective insight drive the experience. With sessions designed to span global time zones, the event fosters inclusive participation across continents while modeling the collaborative, decentralized practices that strengthen democratic engagement. For NCDD members, OFU offers a timely opportunity to explore how facilitation and dialogue can thrive in virtual, hybrid, and tech-enhanced environments. Read more in the blog post below.

The Close Up Foundation’s National Network of Service Programs (NNSP) is inviting educators, practitioners, and civic engagement leaders to present at its 2026 Annual Conference on Community & Civic Engagement, taking place January 28–30, 2026, in the Washington, D.C. area. The conference brings together educators dedicated to connecting classroom learning with real-world civic action, emphasizing practical strategies for fostering student leadership and social impact. Presenters can apply to lead either 45-minute Engage Workshops for in-depth exploration or 15-minute Inspire Mini-Sessions for concise, high-energy idea sharing. Strong proposals will feature interactive methods, clear learning outcomes, and actionable takeaways that empower educators to strengthen community-engaged learning in their schools. With opportunities for networking, collaboration, and student participation through the concurrent Civic Leadership Summit, this event highlights civic education as essential to preparing students for democratic citizenship. Proposal submissions are open now through the Close Up Foundation. Read more in the blog post below.