In The Open System podcast, ​Matt Leighninger, director of the Center for Democracy Innovation at the National Civic League, joins Doannie Tran and Landon Mascareñaz to explore the evolving relationship between education and democracy. Leighninger highlights efforts to transform public meetings using technology and deliberative processes to build civic trust. Tran and Mascareñaz advocate for viewing democracy as a dynamic system that requires innovation, such as liberatory design and co-creation in public decision-making. Despite the challenges of polarization, the team remains hopeful, emphasizing the public's desire for community collaboration and democratic innovation. Read the blog post below and listen to the podcast 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.

We encourage you to go listen to the new podcast "The Context" from NCDD Member Organization, the Kettering Foundation. Hosted by Alex Lovit, Kettering's Senior Program Officer and Historian, the podcast seeks "to shed light on democracy’s history, current condition, and future prospects. Episodes will cover topics like inclusive democracy, citizen engagement, government accountability, and the threat of authoritarianism." Learn more in the post below and subscribe to the podcast here.

PACE - Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement - announced they have a new biweekly podcast, Keeping Pace with Kristen. PACE CEO and podcast host, Kristen Cambell, shares thoughts on philanthropy, democracy, and civic life; and the first two episodes are already out! Learn more below and listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud here. Do you have a D&D related podcast and/or content channel you love? Please share with the community in the comments section below.

Keeping PACE with Kristen

​Welcome to Keeping PACE with Kristen, a bi-weekly podcast with Kristen Cambell, CEO of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (or PACE). PACE is a philanthropic laboratory for funders seeking to maximize their impact on democracy and civic life in the United States. In this podcast, Kristen shares her thoughts on some of the most pressing news, conversations, and questions facing democracy and philanthropy in America today.

Find the podcast at: https://soundcloud.com/pacewithkristen.

NCDD Member, Lori Britt, was featured on Brand Story a podcast celebrating the stories of real people who are making an impact on brands, business, and the world around them. Each episode features guests from a variety of backgrounds who bring their own unique perspectives to the conversation.

Brand Story is created and produced by Gravity Group and is hosted by Gravity Group President, Steve Gilman.

Lori Britt is the President of the Board of Directors of NCDD along with a Professor of Communication and Co-Director of  at James Madison University. As a long-time communication instructor, Lori has taught various courses on group and organizational communication with a focus on community dialogue and deliberation. She is also Co-Director of JMU’s Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue (ICAD). This episode discusses the importance of intentional conversations with the host, Steve Gilman. Britt's episode is titled Dialogue & Deliberation. ​

From the episode description: 
There’s a difference between communicating with someone and having an intentional conversation. Understanding the way you talk and how that impacts the way you think is important in helping to break down barriers and engage in civic conversations with others. It’s the heart of what Lori teaches and models for others — figuring out the why.

It’s become even more important now to be able to engage with others of differing opinions without breaking down. Dialogue and deliberation are processes that can help us all understand our own way of thinking and identify the constraints we may not know exist. As Lori would say, it’s simple but complex work.

In this episode, Lori challenges us to identify our personal schema and how our thinking has been conditioned. She identifies common challenges that are apparent in conversations and walks us through ways to expand our way of thinking. Whether you’re speaking to an individual or working as a group, her insights will prove valuable in helping shape your next conversation.

Executive Director, Courtney Breese was recently featured on the Co-creating Peace Podcast, hosted by NCDD Member Kathleen Oweegon. The Co-creating Peace episode "Let's Talk About It" (episode 66) is part of a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  From the episode description:

The difficulties we have with one another are very often the result of lack of insight and understanding. In the absence of information we make assumptions about one another – assumptions that often lead to conflict.

There is a cure for this phenomenon, and that is dialogue – sitting down with one another to have conversations that help us to learn about one another at deeper levels. When we put aside our assumptions, our biases, and the fears on which those are often based, and enter into dialogue with not only a willingness, but a desire, to learn about others and the way they experience and see the world, and then deliberate together to arrive at paths forward that can better meet the needs of all, we begin to build bridges of peace which can one day span the world.

Looking back, 2016 was an important year for NCDD and the dialogue & deliberation community. NCDD and the field saw a lot of important things happen and transitions take place, and as we look forward to the work ahead, we also wanted to look back at what we’ve accomplished and what’s changed.

NCDD 2016
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​Of course, the biggest effort on NCDD’s part was organizing the 2016 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation on “Bridging Our Divides,” a timely focus on the important work of bringing people together across differences of politics, race, socioeconomic status, and more. We had 350 public engagement practitioners, journalists, academics, public officials, funders, and students converge for this three-day gathering focused on sharing stories, exploring collaborations, and talking about what’s next for the dialogue and deliberation community following the divisive election season. You can view the schedule and speakers, watch panels, and more in the Events section of our site.