In “Slow Democracy,” community leader (and NCDD Sustaining Member) Susan Clark and democracy scholar Woden Teachout document the range of ways that citizens around the country are breathing new life into participatory democracy in their communities. (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012.) Large institutions and centralized governments, with top-down, expert-driven thinking, are no longer society’s drivers. In fact, they are often responsible for tearing communities apart. New decision-making techniques now pair with cutting-edge communication tools to make local communities—and the citizens who live there—uniquely suited to meet today’s ... (continue)

NCDD member Joe Raelin, Northeastern University – D’Amore-McKim School of Business, contributed the following paper using NCDD’s Add-A-Resource form… Given the inquiry among NCDD adherents on methods of conversation to generate collective wisdom, this article prescribes some criteria and a series of norms to assess the quality of discourse as parties seek to deliberate with one another for purposes of mutual exploration, decision making, and shared action. I also wrote the article to presage a new role for managers (be they in the public, civic, or private ... (continue)

The term “Civil Dialogue,” as used by colleagues at Arizona State University, refers to a structured format for public dialogue. On their website, at www.civil-dialogue.com, they describe their work as “Using structured, public dialogue to build a bridge across the chasm of polarized viewpoints on hot topics, and to restore civility in public discourse.” The format was created at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University and continues to be developed by John Genette, Jennifer Linde, Clark Olson, and other scholars. (continue)

Network for Peace through Dialogue creates opportunities for individuals and groups to engage in constructive conversation in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect. During the 2011-2012 period, human trafficking was one issue addressed in the Network’s program titled “Dialogue–Not Argument.” A new educational resource on sex trafficking, “Modern Slavery: The Secret World of Trafficking,” is now available for purchase. It includes a DVD, background information and an outline for discussion and  features a passionate anti-trafficking activist, Sr. Eugenia Bonetti. It is an excellent tool ... (continue)

Jacob Z. Hess is a Mormon, a community psychologist, and a devoted conservative, while Phil Neisser is an atheist, a leftist, and a college professor. Yet in 2009, after meeting at an NCDD conference, they embarked on a two-year conversation about the issues that divide them. The result is “You’re not as Crazy as I Thought,” an entertaining dialogue about power, government, media, religion, morality, gender roles, sexual orientation, race, and more. Drawing on the latest debates in social and political theory, Hess and Neisser ... (continue)

This article (co-authored by NCDD member Ximena Zúñiga, Gretchen E. Lopez & Kristie A. Ford) appears in a special issue of the education journal Equity & Excellence in Education – co-edited by higher education faculty, program developers and practitioners – which includes research and practice examples from higher education, school, and community settings and focuses on intergroup dialogue as form of social justice education. All the articles cover program and social science studies from varied institutional and geographic locations, and capture experiences and reflections of facilitators, students, and diverse ... (continue)

This 2011 book, edited by Roger A. Lohmann and Jon Van Til, focuses on how public deliberation and group discussion can strengthen the foundations of civil society, even when the groups engaged in debate share a history of animosity. Scholars have begun to study the dialogue sustaining these conversations, especially its power to unite and divide groups and individuals. The twenty-four essays in this collection analyze public exchanges and the nature of sustained dialogue within the context of race relations, social justice, ethnic conflicts, public-safety ... (continue)

This resource was submitted via the Add-A-Resource form by NCDD member Joe Raelin, author of the article and Knowles Chair of Practice-Oriented Education professor at Northeastern University’s Center for Work and Learning.  His work can also be found at www.leaderful.org. The purpose of this article is to make the case that democratic leadership, referred to as “leaderful” practice, should be the fundamental form of leadership that characterizes participatory organizational change. The article appeared in the Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol 25, No. 1, 2012. From the author… I ... (continue)

This article examines the results of the Year of Civil Discourse, a program dedicated to engaging nearly 1,000 people in grassroots trainings in civility at four Bay Area synagogues over the course of 2011. From the article… “The purpose was not to have people check their opinions at the door,” Porth added. “We wanted people to bring their passionately held views into the room, and give them the skills to have meaningful conversations about Israel. There was no political litmus test. The institutions all said ... (continue)

In this book, you’ll find stories to inspire you to initiate Healing Conversations with your elders and dying loved ones. Questions and conversation starters are also provided, to help you know what to say and do. The handbook section will guide you, step-by-step, as you engage in these new conversations. They will open your heart, give you a better understanding of loved ones, ensure that you have the conversations you need and want to have. You will find peace and have no regrets and so will your loved ones. (continue)