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Creating Spacefor Dialogue

Everyday DemocracyIdeas and Tools for Community Change

Who Is Everyday Democracy?

•A project of the Paul J. Aicher Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of public life in America.

•A national nonprofit nonpartisan organization with 25 plus years of community/public/civic engagement work in partnership with over 600 communities on a variety of public issues.

Beliefs Undergirding This Work

• When all kinds of people have access to good information and join together to address common concerns—sharing knowledge, resources, power and decision making as they work—they will develop solutions which serve the common good, and lead to healthier, more equitable communities.

• Envisioning a democracy where all voices are valued, and where participation and racial equity become a permanent part of the way we work as a country at the local, state and national levels.

1. Involve everyone.

2. Embrace diversity, practice equity throughout.

3. Share knowledge, resources, power & decision making.

4. Connect dialogue & deliberation

5. Connect dialogue to social, political, & policy change.

Principles of Engagement

How Everyday Democracy Works

Work with local, state, regional or national partners to:•Provide technical assistance in coaching diverse

community coalitions to use public dialogue as a pathway for change.

•Offer trainings in:• Inclusive community organizing• Facilitation of diverse community members•Action planning and implementation

• Racial and intergenerational equity

DialogueAction

Change

Organizing

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A Dialogue Approach to Community Change

The Goal . . .

Tools to Support Dialogues on Race

List of Activities

• Session 1• Making Connections

• Session 2• Case Studies

• Understanding Key Words

• Session 3• Move Forward, Move Back, Sec A

& B

• Opportunities and Challenges

• Looking at Inequities in Our Country

• Session 4• Viewpoints - Why do inequities

continue?

• Community Fact Sheet

• Session 5• Creating a Community Report

Card

• Approaches to Change

• Imagining Our Community’s Future

• Session 6• Brainstorming Action Ideas

• Listing our Community Strengths (Assets)

• Setting our Priorities for Action

Session 1, Part 5Making Connections

•Talk for a few minutes about your racial or ethnic background.

•Tell a story or give an example to show how your background or experiences have affected your ideas about racism and other ethnic groups?

•Have you experienced racism or discrimination? Have you seen it? How has it affected you or people you know?

Session 2Case Studies

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Session 2, Part 3UNDERSTANDING KEY WORDS

Session 3, Part 2Deepening Our Understanding

Understanding our gaps often occur based on skin color or ethnic background

•Move forward, move back

•Opportunities and challenges

Session 3 Part 3Looking at Inequities in Our Country

Session 4, Part 2Why Do Inequities Continue?

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Session 4, Part 3Community Fact Sheet

Session 4, Part 3Community Fact Sheet

Session 5 Part 2Creating a Community Report Card

Session 5, Part 3Approaches to Change

Session 5, Part 4Imagining Our Community’s Future

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Session 6Moving to Action

What are the most important issues, themes or ideas that we have discussed during our dialogue?

• Brainstorm action ideas

• List community strengths (assets)

• Set priorities for action

Action Ideas = Things We Can Do Be Specific.

Instead of this: Public services need to be improved

Try this: Meet with public works department to arrange weekly trash pickup along Elm Street.

Setting Priorities for Action

Report to Be

Used at the

Action Forum

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The Action Forum

Our Goal . . .

ORGANIZING SIMULATION