The Time for Action is Now
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 American has a part to play: telling our stories, building cross-group relationships, showing up for community life, and refusing to see any neighbor as an enemy. Hope is not passive. Hope is a practice — and it grows when we act together.
Creating Belonging & Civic Muscle
The Rippel Foundation reminds us that strong communities don’t just happen — we build them by creating what they call the Vital Conditions for Well-Being. These include things every person and every place needs to thrive: safe neighborhoods, reliable transportation, good schools, meaningful work, a healthy environment, and chances to shape the future of our community. At the center of all this are two powerful ideas: Belonging — knowing “I matter here, I’m part of this ‘we,’” and Civic Muscle — practicing how we listen, decide, and act together. When these grow, people move from feeling alone and powerless to feeling connected and capable. And when they weaken, fear rises and democracy suffers.
Resources for Belonging
Learn more about belonging and civic muscle as the foundation of the Vital Conditions that make a society work for everyone – What it takes to Thrive Together. (Click on the image)
Download the Potluck Project toolkit: with all the resources you need to plan and host a successful potluck. When you download the toolkit you will find sample invitations, a suggested event agenda, tips for planning your event, and more!
Resources about Issues and How to Discuss them
Grand Bargain: In a recent YouGov poll, 77% of Republicans, 90% of Independents & 91% of Democrats wanted Congress to make a package of 36 life-enhancing reforms “a priority”.
Join Living Room Conversations in hosting a group of people to discuss the issues that matter most to you – in a way that helps us find our common ground.
Resources and Networks to Strengthen Civic Muscle
Better Together America is a nation-wide, nonpartisan support network of local, regional, and state “Civic Hubs.” These civic hubs are helping build community resilience and civic capacity, enabling communities across the country to work together to solve their biggest challenges and ensure government institutions and elected leaders are accountable and fairly elected.
CLS helps communities break free from polarization and gridlock by building trust, forging common-ground solutions, and following through to real results. The CLS process is designed to be accessible and led by citizens themselves.
Connecting citizens interested in learning about and increasing the practice of citizen assemblies and deliberative democracy across the United States
Learning Resources
Built over the last 35 years by over 500 contributors, Beyond Intractability is a free information system that supports those wanting to more constructively address conflict at all levels.
An article by Terry Kyllo about how we can rebuild our democracy from the ground up, and the role that interfaith/mulitfaith can play.
In his decade-long work to counter dehumanization and encourage interfaith relationships, Rev. Kyllo realized that many Christians struggled to find their “Why” for knowing and partnering with other wisdom traditions. To make interfaith work possible, the Christian majority needs to discover their own tradition’s calling to recognize our common humanity.
Paths to Understanding and Weigel Communications produce a TV Show called Challenge 2.0 on MeTV – watch episodes on YouTube, or check out the Paths to Understanding Podcast.
Good ideas and smart research don’t effortlessly become good laws and smart policies.
We must use our voices, our stories, and our power to persuade those who can implement the change we wish to see in the world.
The Democracy Resource Hub offers curated tools and connections for democracy practitioners worldwide. Access resources on civic engagement, nonviolent action, peacebuilding, and strategic planning.