For a long time, I’ve been drawn to mosaics. I remember making a mosaic as an art project when I was a Camp Fire Girl – pushing tiny smooth stones into wet mortar held by the top of a cottage cheese carton. (These tops used to be metal rather than plastic!) There was – there …
Category Archives: Blog
Connected Communities: The Partnership Between Civity and the Center for Rural Affairs
It began with a community meeting in Hastings, Nebraska, in August of 2018. Since then the long-standing partnership between Civity and the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) has grown and flourished. This seven-year collaboration is more than just a joint venture; it is a testament to the power of relationship-building at a local level. CFRA, …
As we hurtle toward the election, remember this…
At the end of September, I drove up to Lake Superior for a long weekend. The Ojibway/Anishinaabe, who lived in the region long before Europeans arrived, call it Gichigami. It is monumental, the lake cut and filled with water by volcanic action followed by glaciers millions of years ago. Along Superior’s southeastern shore, the cliffs of the Pictured …
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WATCH: Civity in Conversation with Citizen Connect
Malka & Palma sat down with Citizen Connect Co-Founder Brian Clancy in April on Citizen Connect Live to discuss Civity, the importance of engaging in conversation to build relationships, and how small changes can make big differences. Malka & Palma remind us that we all have the power to transform our communities by building relationships …
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What Civity Means to Me: An Intern’s Perspective
I’ve been getting my nails done regularly at salons for years. It has become routine to sit silently, smile, say “thank you,” tip, and leave. Though I’ve always been respectful toward and appreciative of people working as nail technicians, it wasn’t until I began interning at Civity that I started intentionally connecting with the people …
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Civic Nebraska & Civity Partnership!
We are excited to introduce you to one of our newest partners: Civic Nebraska, dedicated to empowering connection, building understanding, and cultivating advocacy to build a more modern and robust democracy for all Nebraskans. With the support of the Cotyledon Fund, we are collaborating with Civic Nebraska to support rural Nebraskans in talking across differences …
Our Differences Are Magic
This column originally appeared in The Fulcrum. The definition of “civity” is “a culture of deliberately engaging in relationships of respect and empathy with others who are different.” The goal of Civity, the organization I co-founded, is building a civity culture. So why the emphasis on others, on people who are different? The short answer …
Climate Change Conversations & Collaborations
In today’s world, collaboration is more critical than ever. At Civity, we recognize the value of partnering with organizations that are actively engaging people in important conversations. A relational civity foundation provides a huge boost to their work. This past year, one of our focus areas was conversations about climate change. Many organizations in various …
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Walking the Civity Walk
Photo by Daniel Frese on Pexels.com I love to walk. Walking was how I mostly got around when I was a kid, and I guess it stuck with me. It’s not just good exercise, and it’s more than a way to get from one place to another. For me it’s also a way to let …
Civity and Housing Policy: Creating the Space for a Different Kind of Conversation
The housing crisis in California is characterized by skyrocketing prices, a severe shortage of housing affordable for many households, and many people finding themselves homeless. Yet despite widespread recognition of the need for more housing, projects and policies that would facilitate building additional housing are often opposed by residents who are already comfortably housed. Meta, …