Posts By Sandy Heierbacher

Register for NCDD’s next Tech Tuesday event — on Zilino

Our second “Tech Tuesday” event will take place on September 17th from 4pm-5pm Eastern (1pm-2pm Pacific). We’ll be taking a look at Zilino, a web-based solution that enables practitioners to host deliberative online forums and other types of well structured, well facilitated engagement processes. The webinar will be hosted by Tim Bonnemann, founder and CEORead… Read more »

New Public Agenda Paper on Clickers in Deliberation

Here in the 21st Century, technology is continuously shaping and reshaping the way that we engage with each other and how we govern ourselves. But striking the right balance between using technology to improve our engagement and letting it get in the way can be difficult. That’s why we wanted to share the article belowRead… Read more »

Announcing the Successful Communities Contest & Conference Call

We are pleased (and somewhat saddened) to announce the last conference call in the three-part capacity building series being hosted by our partners at CommunityMatters and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design. This final call, titled “Secrets of Successful Communities”, is coming up on Thursday, August 22nd from 3-4pm EST and will feature CIRD’s ownRead… Read more »

The Importance of Conversation (reflections from Katy Byrne)

This reflective piece was submitted by NCDD member Katy Byrne, MFT Psychotherapist, columnist, radio host, and public speaker, via the Add-to-Blog form at www.ncdd.org/submit. We, the people, can create a new world, but not separately. We need community to heal, to be heard in safety and courage no matter what the circumstances. It’s not easyRead… Read more »

CommunityMatters Call + $500 = Be There

The next CommunityMatters conference call on Thursday, August 22nd will feature Ed McMahon, Senior Fellow at the Urban Land Institute, and his “Secrets of Successful Communities.” CommunityMatters is encouraging anyone – individuals, local organizations or community groups – to organize “listening parties” for people to come together, listen and discuss how Ed’s call relates toRead… Read more »

Group Decision Tip: Love

In principle, it is love that truly changes hearts and transforms people, not power or rules. It is love that compels sustained changes in behavior, not oaths or doctrines. It is love that provides a willingness to give and it is love that helps us accept, let go, and find peace. Most group decision-making modelsRead… Read more »

Mental health dialogues happening tomorrow in Sacramento and Albuquerque

This Saturday, community members in ‪‎Sacramento‬ and ‪Albuquerque‬ are coming together to discuss mental health topics and identify priorities. Not in CA or NM? Follow @MentalHealthCCS or join the online dialogue at www.theciviccommons.com/mentalhealth. A bit about the project… An important component of the National Dialogue for Mental Health, “Creating Community Solutions” is a series ofRead… Read more »

A Turning Point for the Public Engagement Field?

We live in exciting, challenging and, in many ways, unprecedented times for governance in the U.S. With massive public budget cuts, political polarization, and historically low levels trust in government intersecting with high unemployment, shifting demographics, and looming climate challenges, substantively involving the public in governance has rarely ever been more difficult or more necessary.Read… Read more »

Busting Myths about Community Health Engagement

We wanted to point folks toward a great article, written by NCDD member Max Hardy of Twyfords (an NCDD org member), that offers insightful reflections about overcoming resistance to community engagement practices in the the professional health care industry. The article focuses on Max’s experiences in Australia, but there are valuable lessons to be drawnRead… Read more »