The two-page tip sheet from Everyday Democracy, Racial Dynamics to Watch For, was published April 2010. The tip sheet gives pointers on how to keep racial dynamics in mind, in order to design better and more inclusive programs/events. The tip sheet gives advice for three categories: Planning and organizing, Dialogues and facilitation, and Working on Action. Below is an excerpt from the tip sheet and it’s available on Everyday Democracy’s site here. From Everyday Democracy… As you approach a large community-change initiative, pay attention to racial dynamics. Consider the following examples. Talk […] (continue)

The article, 10 Ways to Make Your Materials More Inclusive, from Everyday Democracy provide tips to make your materials (and events) more inclusive when engaging the community. These guidelines recommend ways to take into consideration diverse human experiences and expressions, in order to have better designed dialogue and deliberation processes. You can find the article below and in full on Everyday Democracy’s site here. From Everyday Democracy… As diverse as we are racially, ethnically and culturally, we are also very diverse in how we learn. […] (continue)

Everyday Democracy published the five-page activity, Understanding Structural Racism Activity, on January 2015. This activity gives participants an opportunity for better understanding how structural racism manifests and how to design realistic events/actions from a structural racism lens. Participants will explore all three layers of structural racism: personal attitudes/beliefs, formal and informal practices, and policies and procedures- via group discussion and skit activity, then work through the issues that arise at all three levels to create realistic events/actions. Below is an excerpt from the activity and you can download […] (continue)

The article written by Jessica DeBruin, The Greatest History Lessons Are Those We Have Yet to Learn, was published August 2015 on Everyday Democracy‘s site. DeBruin shares some of her history, how it shaped her identity, and explores how our identities play out in our conversations and realities. She emphasizes the importance genuinely listening and participating in conversations where we explore the intersections of our own privilege and oppression. Below is an excerpt from the article and read it in full on Everyday Democracy’s site here. From […] (continue)

The 49-minute video, What’s Race Got to Do with It?, published by California Newsreel in 2006, shows the journey of a diverse group of 16 UC Berkeley students who participated in a semester-long intergroup dialogue program sponsored by University of California, Berkeley Ethnic Studies Department and Stiles Hall. The students were part of the class, “FACING YOU, FACING ME: Race, Class & Gender Among UCB Student Leaders”, led by David Stark and co-facilitator, Jerlena Griffin-Destaco. An online facilitator’s guide is available on PDF here. Below is a six minute clip from […] (continue)

Separate and Unequal in 1963: How Can We Create a Fair Society?, is a 22-page historical issue guide developed in 2014 by the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, Alabama Public Television (APT), and additional partners for use in a classroom setting. Download the Issue Guide PDF here. In Separate and Unequal in 1963, students are asked to place themselves in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama to deliberate together through the difficult choices faced by those working to address segregation and inequality. Additionally, students are encouraged to […] (continue)

The 42-page discussion guide, Protecting Communities Serving the Public (2000), from Everyday Democracy, is designed into five session to help build trust and respect between residents and police officers to co-create safer communities together. The guide reviews what the community-wide study circle program is, and each of the five sessions: Session 1- Starting out study circle: sharing our experiences Session 2- What’s the nature of the problem? Session 3- What do we expect from each other? Session 4- How can we make progress? Session 5- Committing to change: […] (continue)

Creating Spaces for Dialogue – A Role for Civil Society, is a publication released December 2015 from the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). It is a compilation of different case studies about dialogue processes that have taken place among polarized societies. From GPPAC… Dialogue and mediation is at the heart of the work of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). GPPAC members employ dialogue and mediation as a means for conflict prevention, to decrease tensions during conflict, or […] (continue)

The article from Everyday Democracy, 7 Tips For Facilitating Discussions On Community-Police Relations, offers seven guidelines for creating a more comfortable space when facilitating dialogue between the community and police. Below are the seven tips and on Everyday Democracy’s site, you can find the full tip guidelines with examples. Check out it on their site here. From Everyday Democracy… Having conversations about community-police relations can sometimes be uncomfortable. To help dialogue participants feel at ease, facilitators should come prepared to explain certain points at the beginning […] (continue)

The Social Justice Phrase Guide is two-page guide created by Advancement Project, in collaboration with The Opportunity Agenda. This guide puts forth five guidelines for conscientious communication, that give examples of alternative phrases and metaphors to replace out-dated ones that are offensive and/or discriminatory. View the guide below or download it here. From Advancement Project… Advancing a social justice agenda starts with being smart and deliberate in how we frame our discourse. The Social Justice Phrase Guide is your go-to tool to craft inclusive messages. Whether developing […] (continue)