The Participatory Budgeting Project, an NCDD member org, has developed a new map of the participatory budgeting (PB) processes happening across the US and Canada, both current and past efforts. PB is a process in which community members democratically vote on a portion of the public budget, and as the map shows, the process has been growing rapidly across the country. We encourage you to learn more in the article below, view the live map here, and find the original version of this piece on […] (continue)

This year, the National Issues Forums Institute – an NCDD member org, has published three issues guides to support conversations in deliberative forums on major issues facing this country. The three issue guides, House Divided, Keeping America Safe, and A Nation in Debt, each offer multiple talking points on both “sides” of the issue to give participants additional perspectives and help lead to a more robust deliberation. You can read the announcement below and find the original version on the NIFI blog here. From Brad Rourke – […] (continue)

This week’s roundup features webinars from NCDD member orgs New Directions Collaborative, Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice, Living Room Conversations, MetroQuest, and National Civic League, as well as, from International Association of Facilitators and Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). We are excited to offer our upcoming Tech Tuesday next week, April 23rd, where we will learn more about the participatory decision platform, Ethelo. Register ASAP to save your spot for this free call and learn more in the post below. NCDD’s online […] (continue)

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the Courageous Leadership Project to the Coalition as a Sponsoring Member! It is through the generous support of our members that we are able to thrive as a Coalition and work to serve you as best as possible. Huge thank you to Stephani Roy McCallum and the Courageous Leadership Project team for joining! The Courageous Leadership Project helps people find their inner leader so they can have brave honest conversations and find solutions to the challenges they face in […] (continue)

As technology continues to grow at incredibly fast rates, those working to improve democratic practices are often left scrambling to keep up a with rapidly changing environment. NCDD member organization Public Agenda released the paper, Rewiring Democracy: Subconscious Technologies, Conscious Engagement, and the Future of Politics, a follow-up to the earlier-released Infogagment paper. Rewiring Democracy identifies several digital trends and each of their potential consequences on democracy. We encourage you to read the article below and find the original version on PA’s site here. AI, Blockchain, VR, and […] (continue)

Save the date! Yesterday, we announced our April TechTuesday featuring Ethelo for April 23rd at 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern. Register for this free call and learn more about this digital platform which works to create better outcomes through participatory decision making and helps stakeholders work through complex issues. This week’s roundup features webinars from NCDD member orgs  MetroQuest, National Issues Forums Institute, Bridge Alliance, and Living Room Conversations; and a reminder to consider hosting or joining one of the many events happening during […] (continue)

Our ability to suspend our judgments and engage our curiosity can have powerful ramifications in our personal lives and in the larger society. NCDD member Debilyn Molineaux discussed how our curiosity can be one of our many superpowers in the article she wrote, Rush to Curiosity — Judge Later, shared on the Bridge Alliance blog and reposted from AllSides. If you are looking for a place to get some conversational practice to strengthen your curiosity, then we recommend folks participate in the National Week of Conversation […] (continue)

In case you haven’t heard, next week kicks off the second annual National Week on Conversation (NWOC), an intentional week dedicated to elevating conversations across the nation to build deeper connections and relationships within our society. Our friends at the National Issues Forums Institute – an NCDD member organization, shared several opportunities happening during NWOC that we want to encourage our network to participate in! During NWOC, there will be a full week of Common Ground for Action (CGA) deliberative online forums specifically for college […] (continue)

This week’s roundup features webinars from NCDD member orgs Living Room Conversations, National Issues Forums Institute, and Bridge Alliance, from Campus Compact, as well as, a reminder to consider hosting or joining one of the many events happening during the upcoming National Week of Conversation, from April 5th -13th. NCDD’s online D&D event roundup is a weekly compilation of the upcoming events happening in the digital world related to dialogue, deliberation, civic tech, engagement work, and more! Do you have a webinar or other digital event coming […] (continue)

Some of the most challenging aspects of being in dialogue with someone is the ability to hold space for silence, yet not all silence means the same thing or has the same impact. Katie Hyten of NCDD sponsoring member org Essential Partners, recently wrote the piece, Positive and Negative Silence: Notes from the Field, which offers some distinguishing examples. We encourage you to check out the upcoming trainings on their website and remember that NCDD members receive special discounts on these workshops listed here. You […] (continue)