Interactivity Foundation's "Who Are We The People? Who Belongs?" explores democratic inclusion through a structured three-part facilitation guide. Participants engage in round-robin discussions, open dialogue, and collaborative wrap-ups to examine which voices are heard in our democracy and which are excluded. By the end, participants gain insights into building more inclusive democratic systems and develop skills for constructive engagement across different perspectives. Feedback opportunities are available to continue improving this vital conversation. Read more in the post below.

​In today’s world of advanced technology and countless sources of information, distinguishing between truth, falsehoods, and misinformation can be challenging. The Interactivity Foundation’s “Truth & Democracy” is a three-part facilitation guide designed to spark discussions on the role of science and education in a democratic society and strategies for addressing media misinformation. Read more in the post below.

Developed by Essential Partners, The StereoTyping Exercise is a structured dialogue activity designed to help participants explore their identities, reflect on personal experiences with stereotypes, and engage in conversations that foster understanding. Through guided self-reflection and facilitated discussion, participants gain insight into their perspectives and those of others. Read more in the post below.

In a society driven by mass consumerism and production, it's easy to overlook the role of farmers and rural communities in making convenience accessible to many people. The Interactivity Foundation’s “What is the Future of Rural Life in America?” is a facilitation guide designed to encourage discussion about the current state of rural living, agricultural values, and potential directions for the future of rural communities. The guide features three discussion topics, each with a round-robin discussion, an open discussion, and a wrap-up section that fosters perspective sharing and collaboration. By the end of the forum, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of rural life and developed the skills to collaborate with diverse viewpoints in exploring sustainable approaches for rural living. A link is also provided where facilitators and participants can submit feedback on the resource. Read more in the post below.

Most people agree that comprehensive K-12 public education is important, but implementing policies and allocating resources to benefit all students equally can be challenging. The Interactivity Foundation’s “What is the Future of K-12 Education?” is a facilitation guide designed to foster discussion about current educational systems, who benefits from them, and potential directions for the future of K-12 education. The guide includes three discussion topics, each featuring a round-robin discussion, an open discussion, and a wrap-up section that encourages perspective sharing and collaboration. By the end of the forum, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of various educational systems and developed skills to collaborate with diverse viewpoints in imagining ways to reform K-12 education within realistic constraints. A link is also provided where facilitators and participants can submit feedback on the resource. Read more in the post below.​

The arts play an important role in society, but how can an environment be created for them to thrive? The Interactivity Foundation’s “What is the Future of Arts in Society?” is a three-part facilitation guide designed to encourage discussion about how art is defined, how the arts influence society, and who should support the arts. Each topic includes a round-robin discussion, an open discussion, and a wrap-up section that fosters perspective sharing and collaboration. By the end of the forum, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of how art has contributed to societal change and developed the skills to collaborate with diverse perspectives in exploring new approaches to arts education within realistic constraints. A link is also provided where facilitators and participants can submit feedback on the resource. Read more in the post below.​

How can society create a world where sports play an integral role in bringing people together while also addressing the inequities that can drive people apart? The Interactivity Foundation’s "What is the Future of Sports & Fitness?" is a four-part facilitation guide designed to foster discussions on the role of community in sports, the importance of sports to human well-being, the equity of sports, and the future of sports.  Each topic includes a round-robin discussion, an open discussion, and a wrap-up section that encourages perspective-sharing and collaboration. By the end of the forum, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of fitness and developed the skills to engage with diverse perspectives in addressing fitness inequities.   A link is also available for facilitators and participants to provide feedback on the resource. Read more in the post below.

Learn research-based strategies for better relationships, dialogue, and understanding across divides. Relevant to anyone navigating conflicts and differences, especially geared toward college campuses.

www.edx.org/course/bridging-differences

About this course

We encounter differences every day—differences in race, politics, gender, faith, and more. How can we connect across these differences, especially at a time of deep social polarization?

In this course, you will learn core research-based principles and strategies for fostering positive relationships, dialogue, and understanding across lines of difference. Created by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), the course offers best practices that draw on scientific findings and case studies from real-world programs. It will zero in on how these evidence-based strategies can be applied to the divisions and conflicts that show up in our everyday relationships and in various sectors, with a particular focus on university and college campuses. The course builds on the GGSC’s popular Bridging Differences Playbook, which has already been used widely by leaders in government, education, corporate, and other settings.

A Conversation Café is a 90-minute hosted conversation which is held in a public setting like a coffee shop, bookstore or library, where anyone is welcome to join. Its simple format helps people feel at ease and gives everyone who wants to a chance to speak.

The CC method was created by Vicki Robin, Susan Partnow and Habib Rose. During the summer of 2001, Habib, a natural networker, invited Vicki Robin and Susan Partnow to experiment with organizing neighborhood gatherings of “Cultural Creatives” in Seattle. The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World is a nonfiction social sciences and sociology book by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson.

​The three Seattleites were set to launch Conversation Cafés in September 2001, but changed gears after the 9-11 terror attacks took place.  They immediately began hosting CCs to help people process their emotions and thoughts on what had and was happening in the country.

Most of the laws that govern public participation in the U.S. are over thirty years old. They do not match the expectations and capacities of citizens today, they pre-date the Internet, and they do not reflect the lessons learned in the last two decades about how citizens and governments can work together. Increasingly, public administrators and public engagement practitioners are hindered by the fact that it’s unclear if many of the best practices in participation are even allowed by the law.

Making Public Participation Legal, a 2013 publication of the National Civic League (with support from the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation), presents a valuable set of tools, including a model ordinance, set of policy options, and resource list, to help communities improve public participation.

The tools and articles in Making Public Participation Legal were developed over a year by the Working Group on Legal Frameworks for Public Participation — an impressive team convened and guided by Matt Leighninger, formerly of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium (DDC).

​Imagine Chicago is a Chicago-based nonprofit that facilitates and trains people in community visioning practices. Founded by Bliss Browne in 1992, the organization utilizes a three-step process of understanding what is, imagining what could be through collaboration, and creating what will be through action. Its community visioning and planning model incorporates Appreciative Inquiry (with an emphasis on intergenerational collaboration), Open Space Technology, the World Café, and asset based community development. This approach has inspired the creation of Imagine and other community planning projects spanning six continents. Learn more at imaginechicago.org and see a list of similar initiatives cited by NCDD members below.

Imagine Chicago “designs, manages and facilitates intergenerational and intercultural networks and partnerships which cultivate hope and civic engagement and harness imagination for public good” through the use of constructive questions, dialogue, curriculum and event design, and network formation.