1. Ideas and Tools for Community Change
Creating Space
for Dialogue
Everyday Democracy
Process:
Overview of Dialogue to Change Process
Note: Slides 2-3 are Everyday Democracy specific
This session explores one of the two approaches incorporated into the Coming together for Racial Understanding effort. Everyday Democracy has built a legacy of civil dialogue around difficult issues. In more recent years, their work has been focused on racial equity in particular.
5 minutes
Ideas and Tools for Community Change

2. Who Is Everyday Democracy?
A project of the Paul J. Aicher Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of public life in America.
A national nonprofit nonpartisan organization with 25 plus years of community/public/civic engagement work in partnership with over 600 communities on a variety of public issues.
This slide provides a brief overview of Everyday Democracy as an organization.
5 minutes

3. Beliefs Undergirding This Work
When all kinds of people have access to good information and join together to address common concerns—sharing knowledge, resources, power and decision making as they work—they will develop solutions which serve the common good, and lead to healthier, more equitable communities.
Envisioning a democracy where all voices are valued, and where participation and racial equity become a permanent part of the way we work as a country at the local, state and national levels.
These two undergirding principles are key to the approach.
5 minutes

4. Principles of Engagement
Involve everyone.
Embrace diversity, practice equity throughout.
Share knowledge, resources, power & decision making.
Connect dialogue & deliberation
Connect dialogue to social, political, & policy change.
Review these principles of engagement to help set the stage for the process.
5 minutes

5. How Everyday Democracy Works
Work with local, state, regional or national partners to:
Provide technical assistance in coaching diverse community coalitions to use public dialogue as a pathway for change.
Offer trainings in:
Inclusive community organizing
Facilitation of diverse community members
Action planning and implementation
Racial and intergenerational equity
This slide provides a synthesis of the ways in which Everyday Democracy works with communities.
5 minutes

6. Change Organizing Action Dialogue
The Field Approach follows this cycle: organize, talk, act, assess, learn, inform, repeat.
Time: 10 minutes

7. A Dialogue Approach to Community Change
This diagram depicts what the dialogue approach looks like on the ground. Beginning on the left, communities walk through an organizing phase that includes building a coalition, organizing training, recruiting both participants and facilitators, and training facilitators. The community is then ready for a kick-off event that launches the dialogue process. The dialogues run for several weeks, and culminates in an Action Forum which brings all participants back together. The Action Forum launches the action phase in which the community takes collective and individual action to lead to community change. During this time, institutional and policy changes may be addressed. All of this happens through the lens of racial and intergenerational equity.
20 minutes
Handout: Football Field Diagram

8. The Goal . . .
Ultimately, the goal is not only to support the efforts of our community change partners in the specific issue they are addressing, it is to change the narrative of the story!
5 minutes

9. Tools to Support Dialogues on Race
During the next segment, participants will explore these two tools to support the dialogue process.
Handout: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation Discussion Guide
Process:
Facilitator introduce guide:
Explain the layout of the book, page 9
Sample ground rules, page 11
Six sessions – each session builds upon the next session
Point out the appendices at the end
Time: 10 mins.
Materials:
Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

10. List of Activities Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Session 5
Making Connections
Session 2
Case Studies
Understanding Key Words
Session 3
Move Forward, Move Back, Sec A & B
Opportunities and Challenges
Looking at Inequities in Our Country
Session 4
Viewpoints - Why do inequities continue?
Community Fact Sheet
Session 5
Creating a Community Report Card
Approaches to Change
Imagining Our Community’s Future
Session 6
Brainstorming Action Ideas
Listing our Community Strengths (Assets)
Setting our Priorities for Action
Provide an overview of the key activities in each section of the guide:
Each session builds on the next.
Begin with relationship building and understanding our ethnic backgrounds and the impact of racism in first two sessions
Third session talks about why inequities exist in our country
Fourth session explores different perspectives on why inequities exist
Fifth session looks at the respective communities and what kinds of inequities exist and why
Sixth session examines the why of inequities and prioritize actions to address those imbalances at the individual, community and policy levels
Time: 3 mins
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation, page 3
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

11. Session 1, Part 5 Making Connections
Talk for a few minutes about your racial or ethnic background.
Tell a story or give an example to show how your background or experiences have affected your ideas about racism and other ethnic groups?
Have you experienced racism or discrimination? Have you seen it? How has it affected you or people you know?
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process:
Guided by a facilitator
Not necessary to answer all questions. Some groups prefer to have a deeper conversation on one or two of the questions
Debrief:
How did it feel to take part in the conversation?
Did you hear common themes?
Time: 20 mins
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 3
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

12. Session 2 Case Studies Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process:
Read list of cases
Choose a few to discuss
Debrief:
Which cases stand out?
Why do people act that way?
Do the same things go on in our community?
Time: 15 mins
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 14
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

13. Session 2, Part 3 UNDERSTANDING KEY WORDS
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: Overview
These are words people often use when discussing these issues
Case studies can be used to talk about these words
Debrief:
Words are listed on flip chart
Group may bring in other definitions for words at following sessions
May record key ideas group has about each word
Time: 5 mins
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 15
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

14. Session 3, Part 2 Deepening Our Understanding
Understanding our gaps often occur based on skin color or ethnic background
Move forward, move back
Opportunities and challenges
Setup:
Conducted in a large open space
Participants stand on a horizontal line shoulder to shoulder (everyone starts out at the same place in the room).
If large group you may have them form two horizontal lines standing very close to each other
Facilitator skilled in group process and race work
Facilitator skilled in managing strong emotions participants may feel and/or express
Facilitator must be trained in introducing and debriefing exercise
Process: It is really important to allow enough time to do Parts A and B
Deeping our understanding of each other. Recognizing it is hard to know what it is like to walk in another’s shoes
Part A (pg 18):
Facilitator will read a series of statements. These statements relate to skin color or ethnic background. Think about how each statement apply to you. Take one step back/forward as instructed
At end of statements, have participants freeze in place and notice where everyone is standing. Have them turn to 2-3 people who are standing close to them and talk about how you are feeling
Debrief:
As a whole group – What patterns did you notice
Why did people end up where they are?
What might this mean for our country; our community?
Part B (pg 20):
Everyone forms a large circle
As Facilitator reads a series of statements, ask participants to take a step forward into the circle if statement applies to them (mini steps should be taken to allow everyone room to participate).
What did you notice about where people ended up in the second part of the activity?
How does it feel to have gone through this experience?
Note: Opportunities and Challenges (pg 21) is an optional activity to show how opportunities and challenges are tied to racial and ethnic groups
Time: 5 mins
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 17-21
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

15. Session 3 Part 3 Looking at Inequities in Our Country
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: Quick overview
Look at data in areas like education, health and employment that shows examples of gaps among groups in our country.
Debrief:
What are the biggest gaps among people from different racial or ethnic groups?
How do you see these gaps affecting people in our country?
Time: 5 mins – 2 slides -15,16
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg graphs
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

17. Session 4, Part 2 Why Do Inequities Continue?
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: Viewpoints in the voice of a person who thinks it is a very important idea
Have each viewpoint read (either aloud or silently).
Debrief:
Which views come closest to your own way of thinking?
Is there anything you don’t agree with?
Ask if there is a viewpoint that should be included?
Time: 15 mins – Slides 17-18
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 26-27
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

19. Session 4, Part 3 Community Fact Sheet
Pre-work: Program organizers should provide the fact sheet on what is happening in your community.
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 28
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: Discussion
Look over the fact sheet about your community
Debrief:
What surprise you? Makes you hopeful? Worries you?
How do your local challenges compare to the national challenges looked at in Session 3
Note: See next slide on making and using a fact sheet
Time: 10 mins – 2 slides

20. Session 4, Part 3 Community Fact Sheet
Note: Fact sheet is referred to in previous slide #19. See page 41 in guide

21. Session 5 Part 2 Creating a Community Report Card
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: Evaluate how your community is doing. Do all people get a fair chance to succeed? Do all people from all racial and ethnic groups have equal access to services?
To maximize time each participant can fill out a report card using the grading system. (This could be done as a group facilitated or individually)
Facilitator should clarify with group the parameters of the community they are evaluating (such as a particular neighborhood or city as whole)
Each person’s individual grades will be posted on the newsprint report card. This can be done as a group or each person can fill in their own grades on the newsprint
Once filled in, ask everyone to chose several categories to discuss as a group
Debrief:
Facilitator reads each statement on report card and have group look at the grades
Where is there agreement and where does group differ?
Discuss how decisions were made on what grade to give?
On second newsprint fill in what successes group sees from report card
List what challenges need to be addressed? Identify one or two
Time: 30 mins
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 30
Handouts:
Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation
Copy of the Report Card for each participant
On newsprint draw the Report Card omitting the “Statement” column
On newsprint make two columns: “Successes” and “Challenges”

22. Session 5, Part 3 Approaches to Change
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: Thanking about the challenges identified in the report card
Read aloud the 7 approaches
Debrief: to address the challenges identified in the report card
Have any of the approaches been tried to address challenges? If so what happened
Are there any other approaches you can think of?
Which approaches address racism in our institutions?
Which approaches wont work? Why?
Time: 15 mins – 2 slides (descriptors of approaches on slide 23)
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 31
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

23. Note: approaches used against the challenges identified from the Report Card

24. Session 5, Part 4 Imagining Our Community’s Future
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process: “Ten years from now, I hope my community will be _________________________.”
Ask participants as they imagine the future to share their words selected from list or from own thoughts to fill in the blank
Facilitator chart words on newsprint
Debrief:
What do you hope might be different from the way things are today?
What do you hope will be the same?
Supplies:
Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 32
Newsprint, markers
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

25. Session 6 Moving to Action
What are the most important issues, themes or ideas that we have discussed during our dialogue?
Brainstorm action ideas
List community strengths (assets)
Set priorities for action
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people
Process:
Moving to action, what are the most important issues, themes or ideas that have been discussed during the dialogue?
Working together to come up with ideas about how to improve race relations and reduce gaps among people from different backgrounds
What can we do on our own, in groups and as a whole community to make our community better
Debrief: next slide
Time: 15 min – Slides 24 – 30 Action Ideas Discussion
Supplies:
Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pgs
Post newsprint around the room. Replicate the charts on brainstorming action ideas and listing community strengths
Post newsprint from previous sessions that list successes/challenges and promising approaches/action ideas
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

26. Process: Pg 34
Read this list of sample action ideas before coming up with your own ideas.

27. Action Ideas = Things We Can Do Be Specific.
Instead of this:
Public services need to be improved
Try this:
Meet with public works department to arrange weekly trash pickup along Elm Street.
Process: Pg 35
Brainstorm as a way for groups to come up with lots of ideas
A way to creatively come up with many different ideas in a short amount of time
Facilitator, remember all ideas are OK. Participants want to see ideas captured as they shared them
No judgment of ideas
Facilitator writes down every idea

28. Process: page 35
Help group identify assets in people, places or organizations. Chart on newsprint

29. Setting Priorities for Action
Process:
Walk through the step by step process to prioritize action ideas

30. Report to Be Used at the Action Forum
Process: Page 37
Document to bring forward action ideas as a group
This report will be used at the action forum. It may be turned into the organizing group to prepare for the action forum

31. The Action Forum
Setup: Small Group Circles – 6-8 people or large group presentation
Process: Walk thru preparing for Action Forum
Debrief: Q&A
Time: 10 mins. Action Forum
Supplies: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation pg 40
Handouts: Discussion Guide – Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation

32. Our Goal . . .
Ultimately, our goal is not only to support the efforts of our community change partners in the specific issue they are addressing, it is to change the narrative of the story!

33. ORGANIZING SIMULATION
Time: 45 mins
Supplies: Instructions for Coordinators; Role descriptions for each participant
Handouts: Each participant will get a descriptor of the role s/he will play during the simulation, i.e. Mayor, mother, teacher. Each selected Community Coordinator will get a script describing the topic area for which s/he will be recruiting community members for support
Process:
One Facilitator will take the Coordinators out of the room to give each their descriptor sheets and coach each on their role in simulation
2nd Facilitator will give instruction to the participants and have assistants to pass out a role description to each participant. Allow participants enough time to read their role description. Share that everyone is at a community gathering, so they should mingle and network in their role.
Debrief:
When time is called, each Coordinator will stand at the front of the room. Facilitator will ask participants who were recruited by the coordinator will come and stand behind the coordinator.
Question to Facilitators: How easy was it to recruit community members? What was most challenging?
Question to Participants: Were you recruited? What assets did you have to offer that were or were not tapped into?
ORGANIZING SIMULATION