Under the wise (and patient!) guidance of Civity Champion Steve Fleckenstein and Civity Communications Director Gina Baleria, the Civity website has been updated, reorganized, and refreshed.
We—Malka and Palma—took the opportunity that the process gave us … to reflect.
We reflected on where Civity has been, which reaffirmed our vision and our mission. Both have remained constant over the more than ten years since we co-founded Civity.
Our vision is a world in which everyone belongs. Our mission is building relationships across difference to transform communities.
Now more than ever we see how things fall apart when “other” is treated as “them.” And yet now more than ever we also see that knowing “other” transforms them into part of “us,” creating an expansive and welcoming “we.” More and more people are coming to realize that we are all in this together.
We also reflected on how we work—which has also remained the same: We support YOU, people who are choosing civity!
➤ We offer workshops and “Tastes of Civity” and DIYcivity to help people be intentional about connecting authentically across differences.
. —Sign up for one of our workshops!
. —Try out one of our Tips for Practicing Civity!
➤ We partner with and support organizations that recognize relationships across difference as vital to their visions and missions.
. —Spark your imagination of how to make change by taking a look at one of the featured case studies!
➤ We contribute to the growing body of research affirming that social trust can be grown and that civic muscle is at the core of thriving communities
. —Affirm your sense of the possible via the Stanford Strengthening Democracy megastudy’s resounding conclusion that small interventions make a difference!
. —Show the Civity Storytelling intervention at or before your meeting to prepare people to see that everyone is a complex human being!
➤ We lift up the work of people who are creating civity in their spheres of influence and sharing stories of civity.
. —Listen to and be inspired by one of the amazing people interviewed on the ThisIsCivity! podcast!
Now more than ever we are seeing people choosing respect and empathy—choosing civity. When the world “out there” is uncertain and chaotic, “something I can do” to contribute to making change for the better is to take action that infuses being relational into my own everyday personal, professional, and civic life.
YOU are all Civity Champions.
With deep appreciation to Steve Fleckenstein from the Civity Team.