We all have the power to initiate change.
Here are some ways you can continue to explore the three civity touchstones:
Relationships Are Foundational
Creating relationships that send the message that everyone matters sets the foundation for a thriving community.
➤ Complicate the typical definition of listening:
— Watch this short video: The Art of Listening (5 minutes) (Simon Sinek)
➤ Explore listening further:
— Listen to this podcast: What Does It Take to Really Listen to Someone? (19 minutes + transcript) (Greater Good Magazine)
— Take 10 minutes for Active Listening Practice (Greater Good in Action)
➤ Consider the meaning of the word “respect”:
— Read about “a new view of respect” (Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot)
➤ Think about what empathy is – as compared to sympathy:
— Check out this short animated video: Empathy vs Sympathy (3 minutes) (Brené Brown)
➤ Dive deeper into empathy and how we can grow it:
— Listen to this TED talk: We’re experiencing an empathy shortage, but we can fix it together (13 minutes) (Jamil Zaki)
➤ Watch two 10-year-olds from across the world build civity through a simple conversation:
— Watch this short video: These Questions Can Help You Connect (Even When You’re Apart) (3 minutes) (Greater Good Magazine)
➤ Discover steps you can take to increase your empathy levels:
— Take this thought-provoking quiz: Empathy Quiz (Greater Good Magazine)
➤ Learn from a professional about great conversation:
— Read this article: How a great conversation is like a game of catch (TED) (Celeste Headlee)
— Watch this video: 10 ways to have a better conversation (TED talk) (11 minutes) (Celeste Headlee)
Connections Across Difference Are Powerful
Simple actions can begin to breakdown the invisible barriers that keep us apart.
➤ Listen to one author’s wisdom on the danger of having only a single story about someone:
— Watch this TED Talk: The danger of a single story (18.5 minutes) (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
➤ Gain a deeper understanding of yourself by uncovering your unconscious biases (we all have them!):
— Take one or more Implicit Association Tests (Project Implicit)
➤ Reflect on how practiced are you in bridging across social differences (remember, it’s all about practice!):
— Take this quiz: Bridging Differences (Greater Good Magazine)
➤ It’s possible! Watch people connect and learn to see each other’s humanity across deep divides:
— Watch one or more of these short videos: One Small Step (various videos of about 3 min. each) (StoryCorps)
— Connecting people with different political beliefs for StoryCorps style conversations
➤ Be inspired by ordinary people bridging divides:
— Take a look at these brief personal stories of people bridging the political divide (photos + brief summaries) (Braver Angels)
➤ Practice approaching a potentially divisive conversation from a civity angle:
— Walk through some steps on navigating difficult conversations (Constructive Dialogue Institute)
➤ Dive into some of the research on bridging to move past “Us vs. Them”:
— Check out this Action Guide for Building Socially Connected Communities (The Foundation for Social Connection)
Individuals Can Transform Communities
Even one person practicing civity has the power to instigate change on a community level.
➤ Learn about systems and change:
— Read this article: What a Social Systems Perspective Teaches Us About Change (Christiaan Verwijs)
➤ Stretch your imagination of systemic global change:
— Watch this video: Blessed Unrest (6 minutes) (Paul Hawken)
➤ Visualize how “civic muscle and belonging” is at the core of thriving communities
— Explore this website: Vital Conditions for Health and Well Being
➤ Get the beat of practicing civity – it’s like regular exercise:
— Read this article: Hope is a Muscle (Krista Tippett)
➤ Be inspired to take action – what each of us does matters:
— Watch and be inspired by this short video: Be a Hummingbird (2 minutes) (Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai)