From Us vs. Them
to We All Belong
|
|
Hello Civity Friends,
It’s been a while since we last communicated with you via newsletter... but we have been busy!
Those of you who have been part of the Civity network for a long time may have noticed a refresh on our website. In addition to a new look, reviewing our website content provided us the opportunity to home in on what really matters.
One significant change: We added a new tag line – “From Us vs. Them to We All Belong” – to the Civity logo. All around us, over and over, we hear stories of division, stories of Us vs. Them. And yet the more we work with people in communities around the nation – and begin to talk to people in other parts of the world – what we see time and time again is people creating spaces of belonging.
Some examples:
-
We've begun a two-year project supporting communities around the country historically tied to economies based on coal and other fossil fuels, to plan for and manage a transition to a more diversified economy supporting a more resilient future. (Many thanks to the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation for supporting this work!)
-
We recently completed the first round of a year-long training supporting grantees of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation – helping them to more intentionally build civity into their social justice work.
-
We continue to do workshops for organizations seeking to build relational infrastructure internally and externally: most recently, Eastern Mennonite University, to support their deep work on diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the Center for Rural Affairs, to train their staff to integrate civity practice into the work they do with communities.
Everywhere we turn, leaders on the ground recognize that relationships of respect and empathy bring belonging into the light.
“Belonging Is” is the title of Palma’s blog in this newsletter.
From Us vs. Them to We All Belong.
PEOPLE AND THANK-YOU’S:
-
We’ve expanded the Civity family! We’re thrilled to welcome Marselle Alexander-Ozinksas to our work. Marselle spent eight years as a program officer at the S.D. Bechtel, Jr., Foundation, supporting capacity-building for grantees working on environmental issues in California. In addition to her work with Civity, she advises philanthropic and nonprofit clients and provides racial equity-focused training, coaching, and facilitation services related to: grantmaking, capacity building, and strategy development.
-
We also want to introduce you to Maya Fiorella, our wonderful communications intern. Please check out Maya’s reflections on Civity in this newsletter issue. Thank you, Maya, for the great help you’ve given us!
-
Special thanks to Reba Hsu for managing the website renewal process – and bringing us out safely on the other side!
And as always, thanks to YOU, our partners in this work! We know that you are out there building civity in your communities, supporting a culture – and a country – where We All Belong. We are honored to walk alongside you in this journey.
-Malka and Palma
|
|
 |
By Palma Strand
Who knew that President Lyndon Johnson was a champion of civity!?!?
During much of the pandemic I’ve been living in Arlington, Virginia. Early of a summer morning, before the heat of the day begins to rise, I often bike along the Potomac River. I pass by geese and goslings along with a few ducks, and I occasionally sight a heron or a (very large!) turtle. The cottonwoods, willows, redbuds, and other trees arch overhead – and their roots create speed bump ridges that keep me at a leisurely pace.
The LBJ Memorial Grove has become my favorite morning destination. A living memorial to President Johnson, it consists of a generous swath of grass and trees between the Potomac and the Boundary Channel. A flagstone spiral sweeps through the grove, curling inward to an imposing and rugged hunk of Texas pink marble that stands upright, facing the Washington Monument across the water.
On the north side,which faces Washington, a quote is inscribed in the same pink marble. Days after the March from Selma to Montgomery, President Johnson voiced support for the legislation that would become the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with these words: “The promise of America is a simple promise. Every person shall share in the blessings of this land.”
|
|
|
|
Reflections on Civity: All About Connection |
By Maya Fiorella
Civity, to me, is all about connection.
A few months into my Internship with Civity, I realized how easy it is to practice civity and connecting. I had just moved to a new city, and I was scared of feeling alone. In fact, I moved to one of the largest U.S. cities - Los Angeles, California.
I was waiting in the elevator in my new apartment complex when a young woman walked in. Usually, this is when I pull out my phone to avoid awkward eye contact. This time, I decided to practice civity.
She was carrying an iced coffee, which happens to be my favorite beverage, so I asked where she purchased it. Next thing I know, she is detailing all of her favorite LA coffee shops for me. When the elevator landed on my floor I expressed my gratitude and left.
I now see her from time-to-time throughout our apartment complex. We always stop for a moment to say hello, and catch up about coffee. I decided to engage in a small, otherwise meaningless conversation, and gained my first acquaintance in the large city of Los Angeles.
I also gained confidence. Practicing civity can be small, but the benefits are large. I now have made genuine friendships in the city by simply sparking human connections.
|
|
|
|
The This Is Civity podcast features people who are building relationships to dismantle inequities and strengthen communities grounded in respect and empathy. In recent months, we've interviewed people working to build civity by bridging divides, grappling with issues in communities, and helping people see each other. Thank you for listening!
|
|
|
|
Relational Infrastructure to Heal Communities with Nang Mo Kham |
We explore the importance of bridging and relational infrastructure to achieving healthy communities. Nang Mo Kham, Eisenhower Fellow & senior health specialist at the World Bank, is based in Myanmar and sees herself as someone who can help establish a system that knits together local services, including education, public health, and others, to improve access for everyone, no matter their social status, background, or ethnicity, and improve the overall health of her community. |
|
|
|
Creating Connections, Josh Schachter's Community Share
|
Josh Schachter is founder & director of Community Share, a nonprofit that connects community resources, artists, organizations, and people to teachers, students, and schools. The goal is to share wisdom and knowledge across these connections, and create real-world learning experiences. |
|
|
|
The role of public health agencies in community well being, with Andy Wessel |
Andy Wessel is a community health planner with the Douglas County Health Department in Omaha, Nebraska. He discusses the role of the public health department, and how civity practices can help local public health officials navigate differences and help residents feel heard and seen. |
|
|
|
Welcoming Week 2021: Jordyne Krumroy & Anthony Salas |
Welcoming Week is an annual event put on by the organization Welcoming America to support communities seeking to increase belonging among all members of their communities, including immigrants. The theme for 2021 was “Belonging Begins With Us” – reminding all of us that we can do our part to help others feel welcome.
|
|
How You Can Support Civity's Work |
|
Thank you for supporting and practicing civity! To support Civity’s work with a tax-exempt donation, CLICK HERE to donate online or get instructions for sending a check.
Your donation helps fund our communications and enables us to give free workshops to small nonprofits. For example, we recently did a workshop for Central Hall Commons, a great organization that engages people and organizations in the Maine Highland region to nurture a welcoming, inclusive, and healthy rural community culture.
Our work is more important than ever, and we can’t do it without you. Help us reach more people and provide more support to leaders across the country seeking to build civity.
Let’s grow our Civity community by reaching out to “others” and bridging across divides. Together, we can create a culture where we ALL belong.
|
|
If you received this from a friend or colleague and have not yet subscribed, we'd love to welcome you to our Civity community!
Please sign up to receive future newsletters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
