Dear Friends,
I hope this communication finds you well and safe.The time flies by, but you are all in our thoughts!
The virtual environment of the past few months has enabled Civity to reach more people and more places:
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Palma and I spoke about our essay It’s All About Relationships: Systems-Based Changemaking at a webinar organized by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE). We were joined by our co-author John Esterle from The Whitman Institute and three foundation leaders who work from a systems/relationships perspective: Jonathan Gruber of The Einhorn Collaborative, Angela Graham of the Fetzer Institute, and Kara Carlisle of the McKnight Foundation. You can view the webinar here. Also, read Palma’s article below, which provides some highlights.
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We have updated our website! This is our first website re-do since we launched in 2013. We highlight Civity’s work and our amazing partners, and we have made it easier to access our latest podcasts and blogs. Many, many thanks to Reba on our team and to HelloAri, our web developer. Check it out and tell us what you think!
- We’ve learned that even when we can’t be together, we can be … virtually! Last year, the University of Illinois YMCA held a virtual Welcoming Week dinner in September. The Redwood City Human Library, which was honored with a Welcoming Star by local organization Redwood City Together, held its first virtual Human Library in December. And the Center for Rural Affairs held two virtual Civity workshops early this year. Congratulations to all!
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Finally, we are launching our first virtual workshop for the general public! If you resonate with Civity but haven’t had the opportunity to experience Civity practice and skill-building, this is your chance. Circle June 24, 2021, on your calendar: 4:30 pm PT/7:30 pm ET. See the article below for details and to sign up. We hope to see you there!
Because Civity is all of us, you are an essential part of Civity. We appreciate the work you do and look forward, as always, to our paths crossing!
Best,
Malka
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Join us for Virtual Civity Workshop on June 24! |
We are pleased to offer our first virtual open-to-the-public workshop! If you haven’t experienced a Civity workshop yet, you can take advantage of this from wherever you are.
Get a first-hand experience of how Civity works with leaders to build “social muscle,” cultivating relationships of respect, empathy, and trust across difference.
You’ll have a chance to connect with others in a series of intentional, authentic one-on-one conversations over Zoom in a relational and welcoming way. You’ll also learn actionable strategies for building relational infrastructure in your life and work, such as how to deepen conversations, how to establish authenticity through storytelling and active listening, and how to “put difference on the table.”
WHEN: Thursday, June 24
TIME: 4:30 PT / 7:30 ET
LENGTH: 1.5 hours
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All About Relationships: Civity, Systems, & Philanthropy |
By Palma Strand
Civity recently engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on "the role of relationships in systems change" with PACE, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement.
In collaboration with thought partner and Civity supporter John Esterle of The Whitman Institute, Palma and Malka wrote It’s All About Relationships: Systems-Based Changemaking. PACE also hosted a webinar featuring the co-authors and three PACE members who shared how relationships and systems underlie their grantmaking.
Our communities, nation, and world are complex adaptive social systems. In these systems, the interactions of the people within them – our relationships – create the system's energy and character.
Civity has always taken a systems approach to social change. Injustices and challenges are created by all of us.
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The This Is Civity podcast features people who are building relationships to dismantle inequities and strengthen communities grounded in respect and empathy. In the second half of 2020, we interviewed people working to build civity by bridging divides, grappling with issues in communities, and helping people see each other. Thank you for listening! |
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Resetting the Table with Melissa Weintraub |
Melissa Weintraub, founder & co-executive director of Resetting the Table (RTT), discusses building dialogue and deliberation across political divides. RTT focuses on seemingly intractable differences that are breeding distrust, a lack of empathy, and marginalization. To learn more about RTT, and to view the film "Purple" – which uncovers humanity beneath our national conflict – go to ResettingTheTable.org/Purple.
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Seeding Civity in Allegheny Co., PA with Adriana Sanchez-Solis |
Adriana Sanchez-Solis brought civity to her role as Policy & Education Program Manager, in the Office of Equity & Inclusion at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Adriana’s office worked with Civity as part of a Seeding Civity grant, and she discusses how Civity influenced her work. |
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Seeding Civity at UYMCA w/Jes DeVries & Cynthia Markstahler |
In this episode, we explore the Seeding Civity partnership with the University YMCA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Guests Jes DeVries, director of immigrant family services at the University YMCA, and Cynthia Markstahler, Global Engagement Coordinator and AmeriCorps Vista Coordinator, at the University YMCA discuss how civity has influenced and enhanced their work. |
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How You Can Support Civity's Work |
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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.
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.
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.
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