The airwaves this summer and fall have been filled with division – as well as people clamoring to be heard. Civity’s message about the importance of seeing people who are different from us as members of our larger community has taken on a new urgency. Civity’s framework – Intentionality, Authenticity, Respect and Empathy across Difference …
Author Archives: Palma Joy Strand
Civity Helps People in Arlington, VA in Challenging Racism
Civity is helping people in Arlington, VA, learn how to facilitate complex and challenging discussions on race. Marty Swaim, co-founder of Challenging Racism, says it works through facilitated conversation groups that “build a community of people who, whenever the subject of race comes up, they don’t run away. They stay there and they listen and …
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Searching for Civity
Civity and the Civity Academy are grounded in cutting-edge research into how the actions of individuals can influence society – for the better. From time to time, we will share key aspects of this evolving field with our readers. We look forward to hearing your thoughts! The political weather reports are telling us that it’s …
From “NO” to “KNOW”
(PHOTO COURTESY: Angry Asian Man) A few weeks ago in San Francisco, “NO MORE CHINESE” graffiti appeared in the Portola district. Days later, courtesy of Photoshop, a blogger countered with “KNOW MORE CHINESE.” From “NO” to “KNOW” – that’s Civity in a nutshell. “NO” – We are all “NO” people. “NO” captures our very human …
Civity Crescendo
The completion of the Civity Conversations Pilot Project and the Civity Launch late last spring provided a springboard for taking Civity to the next level. With our center of gravity still in Silicon Valley-San Francisco, Civity is now ready to train established and emerging leaders in partner organizations in the business, government, and non-profit sectors …
The Civity Conversations Pilot Project
A Civity Conversation is a valuable tool for “connecting through difference.” People who care about their community contact someone in their social network who is different from them in a way that is potentially divisive. A structured one-on-one conversation of only an hour enables the growth of a genuine relationship grounded in understanding. These are …
Civity and Inequities – and Privilege
Snails and caterpillars – what do these have to do with privilege? And what do they have to do with Civity?! The short video “Sometimes You’re a Caterpillar” describes how squeezing under a fence to get to a garden party might be really easy if you’re a caterpillar but not so easy for your friend …
This Is Civity
Welcome to the first Civity newsletter! You are receiving this because you have been identified as a civic leader and/or organizational change agent who may be seeking to tackle problems in a new way. This occasional newsletter will give you a chance to check in with what’s going on with Civity and to see what …
Why “Civity”?
When Malka and I first started writing about “civity,” our computers and phones auto-corrected it to “cavity.” (Good for a chuckle, but completely random!) And when we now talk about “civity” in conversation, people frequently think we’re talking about “civility.” (A distant family member, but related only to the same degree as you and your …
Our Founding – and Foundational – Frame
Malka and I met over a project. About 10 years ago, two colleagues and I received a grant from the Hewlett Foundation to write and produce a Civic Engagement Guide. This project captured and built on our experiences as active citizens in Arlington, Virginia. Malka was our program officer. Over the course of numerous conversations, …