RESOURCE GUIDE
Explore a curated collection of resources related to Civic Dialogue
Articles, podcasts, and videos:
- Mediation articles, Alternative Conflict Resolution, King County
- From Free Speech to Free Palestine: Six Decades of Student Protest, NY Times, May 2024
- A Palestinian and an Israeli, Face to Face | Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon | TED talk (video), April 2024
- A Comedian’s Take on How to Save Democracy | Jordan Klepper | TED talk (video), April 2024
- Civil discourse on campus is put to the test, NY Times, Mar 2024
- Civil Discourse in Uncivil Times, resources and a series of panel discussions on civil discourse, Lower Columbia College, 2023
- Civility, Conversations on how to regain civility in society, (series of podcasts), Worldwide Civility Council, 2020 – 2023
- South African leaders on how America can move beyond toxic polarization, (radio segment) WXXI (NPR radio), Jan 2023
- Re-establishing civil political discourse through dignity, empathy and genuine engagement, Think.iafor.org, Dec 2021
- The Power—and Pitfalls—of Incivility: Watching political figures at each other’s throats can trigger anger, anxiety, and distrust in government. It may also be a vital tool for engaging a busy and distracted electorate. Psychology Today, Dec 2019
- 3 ways to practice civility | Steven Petrow, Ted Talk (video), Mar 2019
Guides for civil conversation/conflict resolution:
- Better Conversations: a starter guide, On Being
- Fostering Civil Discussions: How do we talk about the issues that matter?, facinghistory.org, 2021
- King County Dispute Resolution Center – Conflict Resolution Tips
- Mending fences: Tips for resolving conflicts between neighbors in Seattle’s tight quarters, Seattle Times, July 2021
- Seattle Public Schools – Conflict Resolution Tips
- Five tips to becoming a more compassionate listener. Compassionate Listening Project (KING5 News interview)
Books:
- Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, Marshall Rosenberg
- Practicing the Art of Compassionate Listening, Andrea Cohen
- The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: theory and Practice , 3rd edition, Peter Coleman
Organizations:
- A Center for Restorative Solutions – Seattle – Provides mediation, coaching and facilitation services
- A Starting Point– A Starting Point is a video-based civic engagement platform created by Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, and technology entrepreneur Joe Kiani. ASP’s mission is to create a bipartisan channel of communication and connectivity between Americans and their elected officials with the goal of creating a more informed electorate.
- Braver Angels – Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide.
- Center for Nonviolent Communication – The Center for nonviolent communication is an international nonprofit peacemaking organization that shares nonviolent communication around the world. It helps people peacefully and effectively resolve conflicts in personal, organizational and political settings.
- City of Bellevue – Conflict Resolution Center
- City of Seattle – Mediation Program
- Divided we fall – Divided We Fall Television reveals ordinary people wrestling with what it truly means to be an American, the divides that prevent unity, and what we can do to bridge the gaps
- Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
- Fire.org – Since its founding more than two decades ago as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, FIRE has become the nation’s leading defender of fundamental rights on college campuses
- King County
- Inter-Local Conflict Resolution Group – The Inter-Local Conflict Resolution Group (ILCRG) is a consortium of government agencies, labor unions and volunteer professionals jointly formed by King County and the M.L. King County Labor Council in 1998 to provide mediation and other forms of dispute resolution services to its members at no cost.
- King County Law Library – Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
- National institute on Civil Discourse – The Tucson community came together to create NICD, a non-partisan organization based at the University of Arizona to promote healthy and civil political debate. NICD is devoted to the same principles that motivated Congresswoman Giffords: that people with different values and political preferences can discuss their differences in a civil and productive manner.
- Engaging Differences – Hear from NICD’s Board members, including Katie Couric, Tom Daschle and Christine Todd Whitman, as well as average Americans, as they share their real-life experiences and hopes for a more perfect union.
- Next Generation – Next Generation works directly with state legislators to address incivility and hyper polarization at the state level.
- Project for Civic Health – Concerned by the increasingly common dysfunction in governance at state legislatures around the country, Denny Heck, Lieutenant Governor of Washington State, reached out to leaders at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, University of Washington, and Washington State University. Together, we realized civic health demanded our collective attention.
- Resolution WA – For over 30 years, Resolution Washington DRCs have provided low-cost and effective conflict resolution services including mediation, facilitation, consultation, workplace conflict resolution and training to individuals and organizations.
- Dispute Resolution Center Contact Information – Lists DRCs across the state
- Dispute Resolution Center of King County – We promote meaningful pathways for everyone to engage with conflict, to learn from each other, and to grow in community.
- Seattle Pacific University – Mediation, Peace and Conflict Resolution Program
- Washington State Bar Association – Dispute Resolution Center – The WSBA Dispute Resolution Section promotes the informed use and best practices for all dispute resolution processes in Washington.
- Willian D Ruckelshaus Center – The Center is a joint effort of Washington State University and the University of Washington, created to foster collaborative public policy in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest.
Civic Engagement Opportunities
Our region’s civic health depends on each one of us to get involved in civic life. Here are some ways you can get engaged:
Donate:
- Donate money directly to a local nonprofit we learned about in this Civic Cocktail
Develop skills to facilitate civil conversations in your home and community:
- Conflict resolution training – King County Dispute Resolution Center
- Compassionate Listening workshops – Compassionate Listening Project
Volunteer:
- Braver Angels – volunteer opportunities (facilitator, moderator, debate organizer, etc)
Advocate to your elected officials:
- Track Current Bills in the WA State Legislature (Crosscut)
- Contact your local, state and federal legislators:
- WA State Legislators
- Federal Legislators (Good list of contacts from the WA State Hospital Association)
- Find your legislators (local, state, federal) – WA Secretary of State Voting Portal
- Find your district (local, state, federal) – King County Elections