Civic Engagement
The Moral and Relational Crisis Beneath American Division
One of the deepest questions many activists, organizers, faith leaders, and community leaders ask today is this: Why don’t people seem to care anymore? After violence, cruelty, corruption, or public dishonesty, many people feel exhausted and bewildered. It can seem as though empathy itself is disappearing. Some conclude that America is in a moral crisis.…
Read MoreThe Civil Contract and Cross-Group Relationships
Many leaders I talk to feel the same tension. We can see the division.We can feel the distance growing.We know something deeper than politics is breaking down. So we ask: What do we actually do about it? For a long time, we thought the answer was better ideas. Those matter. But they are not enough.…
Read MoreThe Work of Renewing Our Civil Contract (Part 1)
What holds us together—and what happens when it frays Two weeks ago, I sat in a room with about 400 people in Spokane, brought together by the Innovia Foundation. They came from small towns and rural counties across eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Farmers. Nonprofit leaders. Faith leaders. Community organizers. People who care about their…
Read MoreDehumanization and Political Violence
Political violence doesn’t begin with weapons—it begins with how we see each other. When we reduce people to categories, fear grows, trust breaks down, and harm becomes easier to justify. This resource helps leaders understand how dehumanization develops, why it spreads, and how it can be interrupted. It offers practical tools to strengthen relationships, set…
Read MoreThe Society We Deserve
Political scientist Rachel Kleinfeld says democracies heal when everyday people choose to move toward one another — not away. We cannot wait for Washington or a single leader to fix what’s broken. Renewal begins locally, with neighbors rebuilding trust, holding each other accountable to our best values, and creating small victories that ripple outward. Every…
Read MoreBuild: The Long Work of Civic Muscle
Building is where the future lives. It is the slow work of: Building renews democracy from the ground up. It creates what we call civic muscle—the ability of a community to face stress without tearing itself apart. Why Build Is Essential Now Our democracy is not only polarized. It is fragile. We need: Building does…
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