The next info call for the DDPE certificate program is taking place tomorrow at 6pm Central (that’s 7pm Eastern or 4pm Pacific). You can sign up for the call here if you’re interested in learning more about the program. The award winning Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement Certificate Program, which is now run by Kansas State University, is a transformative professional development program focused on making wise choices for engagement. NCDD is a ‘Collaborator’ of the program, and NCDD supporting members enjoy a 10% discount on program fees. This year’s […] (continue)

We hope you will join us in extending a warm NCDD congratulations to Mark J. Farr on his recent appointment as the new president of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue.  IISD’s work in fostering sustained dialogue here and abroad has made important inroads in our field, and we look forward to seeing how someone with Mark’s background will guide this important organization in its next chapter. Founded by our friend Hal Saunders, IISD is a long-time organizational member and supporter of NCDD. You can […] (continue)

I am excited to see the latest post on scholar Peter Levine’s blog, which tackles the bewildering question (I’ve found it bewildering, anyway!), Do we live in a republic or a democracy? My pat answer to that question has been both — the U.S. is a democratic republic or a representative democracy; that in a large country you need some combination of elected representatives and direct citizen voice.  I’ve also said that this is partly a question of semantics and of changing definitions over time. […] (continue)

Days of Dialogue — a long-time NCDD organizational member based on Los Angeles — got some great TV coverage of their recent event in a series of dialogues designed to help the L.A. community process their emotions and opinions about the Trayvon Martin verdict. They’re in the midst of running a series of three events titled Days of Dialogue:  The Death of Trayvon Martin… Unfinished Business.  The first event, which received the coverage on NBC News in Southern California, took place on  Saturday (July 27). […] (continue)

It’s time to sign up for the next cycle of the award winning Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement Certificate Program. Kansas State University’s DDPE program is a transformative professional development program focused on making wise choices for engagement. NCDD is a ‘Collaborator’ of the program, and NCDD supporting members enjoy a 10% discount on program fees. Please note that information calls on the program are scheduled for today at 6pm Central, August 8 at 10am Central, August 22 at 6pm Central, September 4 at 10am Central and September […] (continue)

A big congratulations to NCDD members Steven Clift and Anita Brown-Graham, who were among 15 Open Government and Civic Hacking Champions of Change honored by the White House on Tuesday for their work in connecting communities.  The Obama administration recognized the business, community and social media leaders for using high-tech tools to bring citizens closer to government at the state and local levels. Steven, the executive director of E-Democracy in Minneapolis, has worked at the neighborhood level since 1994, connecting 1,000 citizens online by starting […] (continue)

We have a special guest lined up for our August confab call — Rich Harwood, president and founder of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in Bethesda, Maryland. The call will take place on Wednesday, August 7th, from 2:00 to 3:30 Eastern (11-12:30 Pacific), and registration is now open! Earlier this year, Rich was asked to facilitate a series of meetings in Newtown, CT to help the grieving city decide what to do with Sandy Hook Elementary School, site of the horrific mass murder of children […] (continue)

This Saturday, community members in ‪‎Sacramento‬ and ‪Albuquerque‬ are coming together to discuss mental health topics and identify priorities. Not in CA or NM? Follow @MentalHealthCCS or join the online dialogue at www.theciviccommons.com/mentalhealth. A bit about the project… An important component of the National Dialogue for Mental Health, “Creating Community Solutions” is a series of events around the country that will allow people to engage in dialogue and action on mental health issues. Creating Community Solutions will engage thousands of Americans, in a range of […] (continue)

Cross-posted from the OpenGov Foundation blog, with heartfelt congratulations from NCDD to Jennifer and high hopes for her future contributions to the field. Ms. Pahlka’s Code Comes to America The American Constitution may have been the first to codify the notion of “nailing it, then scaling it.”  At our best, states and the people themselves are supposed to be the “laboratories of democracy,” with the power to innovate and tackle old social problems in new ways.  Washington watches the many policy experiments underway in individual states, […] (continue)

We want to make sure NCDD members are aware of an exciting new endeavor being launched by the Rockefeller Foundation.  With the increasing frequency and scale of natural and man-made disasters challenging cities around the world, it is increasingly important to find and develop ways to increase our cities’ capacity to absorb shocks and bounce back quickly.  That is why the Rockefeller Foundation is inviting cities from around the world to enter the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge. Starting this August, cities can formally apply to […] (continue)