News

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What Are the Options for Addressing Mental Health Problems in America?

Thursday, March 1, 2018
The National Issues Forum issue advisory states that one in five Americans will have mental health problems in any given year. But, many individuals feel that mental health is not being treated appropriately, and that dangerous mental illnesses are going undetected and untreated. Therefore, the driving question in this resource is: How can we reduce the impact of mental health problems in America?
Illustration of the differences between equality and equity

The Difference Between Equity and Equality in Deliberation

Thursday, March 1, 2018
The authors of “Equality and Equity in Deliberation: Introduction to the Special Issue” state that inclusion is a foundation of deliberative democracy. But should programs focus on equity or equality in their process of dialogue and deliberation?
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The Use of Dialogue to Heal Relationships and Communities

Thursday, March 1, 2018
“Repairing the Breach: The Power of Dialogue to Heal Relationships and Communities” is a resource written by Robert R. Strains Jr. as a part of the Public Conversations Project. This project, now called Essential Partners, focuses on dialogue about difficult topics, such as gender, race, and sexuality. The resource was published in the Journal of Public Deliberation in 2014. The Journal of Public Deliberation collects research and projects with a focus on deliberative democracy.
How Should We Prevent Mass Shootings in Our Communities?

How Should We Prevent Mass Shootings in Our Communities?

Tuesday, February 27, 2018
How Should We Prevent Mass Shootings in Our Communities? Mass shootings have devastating effects on communities. Much of the discussion surrounding this topic is often polarized and charged with emotion, making it difficult to come to a solution.
young girl on a road painted with a rainbow

Issues Affecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth

Tuesday, February 27, 2018
While many individuals are coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender at an earlier age, schools are not adapting to meet these student’s needs and prevent discrimination. In addition, many states do not have anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBT youth from violence and harassment. 
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Staying Connected with Participants and the Community: It's Important for Sustaining Programs

Tuesday, February 27, 2018
To sustain a program, updating participants and the community on progress and future events is crucial. Once these individuals are updated, they are more likely to share this information with the rest of the community. But there are even more methods for sharing this information, including blogs and social media. The benefit? Not just informing individuals, but possibly attracting the media or partners.
10 Best Ways to Recruit Volunteers

Recruiting Volunteers: Ten Tips from Everyday Democracy

Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Everyday Democracy provides the keys to success in their resource called “10 Strategies for Recruiting Active Volunteers.” Founded in 1989, Everyday Democracy strives to bring together diverse groups of individuals to discuss social and political issues. Their hope is that dialogue between individuals of all backgrounds will help communities facilitate solutions and change. 
An older woman and younger child talking

Recruiting Youth: A Strategy Guide from Everyday Democracy

Tuesday, January 9, 2018
What does it take to not just listen to youth, but to involve this in the planning and visioning stages of a project? Involving young people in a coalition, and getting youth to come to events and have their voice be heard, requires reflection on a wide range of issues. This resource is helpfully organized as a series of challenges that are all paired with specific strategies to employ. Below are five of those challenges with one sample strategy. Notice that engaging youth often requires you to rethink your own vision, priorities, and assumptions.