This Is Civity

In this episode, we talk with John Paul Lederach – professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, focused on international peacebuilding. Lederach spent much of his career helping build peace in conflict areas around the world, and has written extensively on his experiences.

Together, we explore the importance of building relationships across divides and differences to achieve meaningful foundations for building lasting peace. ...

In this episode, we talk with Angela Bradbery – Frank Karel Chair in Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism & Communications. Bradbery spearheads the annual Public Interest Communications Summer Institute — bringing educators, researchers, practitioners and others together to explore how to best communicate in the public interest.

Bradbery’s work in Public Interest Communications focu...

In this episode, we talk with Ben Bain, volunteer Brick Yard leader for the Washington, D.C. area for the organization More Perfect Union. More Perfect Union seeks to strengthen communities through social connection, service, and civic engagement.

Ben is a veteran – and a dog lover – who wanted to find ways to weave connective tissue in his community. More Perfect Union allows him do this by working toward building relationships amo...

In this episode, we talk with Michael McRay, experiential story coach, and founder of Becoming Restoried.

Michael helps others find and share their own stories, toward healing, reconciling, and connection. The stories we create have the power to connect or divide – and when someone does not have control of their story, it can be dehumanizing.

Michael helps people see both themselves – and each other – as human, which in turn connects...

In this episode, we talk with Mónica Guzmán, Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, and author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.

Mónica at first dedicated her career to connecting people across differences through journalism… but then moved into the bridging space to find a more effective way to bring people together in relationship.

Through it a...

In this episode, we talk with David Brooks, New York Times Columnist, and author of How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.

We explore David’s journey to find ways to know other people better and learn how to share his own stories and experiences as part of the knowing process. He shares the lessons and strategies he’s learned to cultivate relationships, big and small, as a way to weave communit...

In this episode, we explore the importance of strong neighborhood and community relationships to the health of nations, and we discuss the fact that many neighborhoods in the U.S. don’t have strong local ties and need structural and systemic help.

My guest is Seth Kaplan - Author of Fragile Neighborhoods Repairing American Society One Zip Code at a Time. Seth is also an international relations expert whose job is to help fragile sta...

In this episode, we talk with Riaz Patel, executive producer and director focusing on reality shows that depict people connecting and having positive transformations. Riaz created what he calls the EPIC system - with EPIC standing for Equalization, Personalization, Information Gathering, and Collaboration - something very in line with Civity’s approach to helping people connect across differences.

Riaz has used the EPIC System to cr...

In this episode, we explore how "othering" has led to increased marginalization and vilification of people who are un-housed - and how civity can help counter this trend by helping people who are housed see the humanity of those without housing. My guest is Eric Tars, Legal Director of National Homelessness Law Center, who reminds us that housing is a human right. Tars hopes that helping people see each other's humanity can bring t...

In this episode, we explore how engaging across our racial and class divides and cultivating solidarity can help bring us together to care for and nurture our democracy.

My guest is Ian Haney López, professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, and author of several books, including Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism & Wrecked the Middle Class, and Merge Left: Fusing Race & Class, Winning Electio...

In this episode, we explore a massive new study on improving the health of democracy. The Strengthening Democracy Challenge invited more than 30,000 people to engage with 25 interventions. The goal was to find ways to reduce things like partisan animosity, partisan violence, and anti-democratic attitudes, and increase social trust and a willingness to engage with people across socially salient differences.

Civity’s intervention was ...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Jacqueline Font-Guzmán, vice president for diversity, equity, & inclusion at Eastern Mennonite University; and strategic vision director for the Center of Justice & Peace Building at EMU.

Civity has been privileged to support EMU on its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) journey with workshops for the President and her Cabinet and the Board of Trustees.

Together, we explore how to make DE...

In this episode, we welcome Graham Bodie, professor of integrated marketing communication at the University of Mississippi, and chief listening officer with the Listen First Project.

As with Civity, the Listen First Project supports the creation of bridging relationships - focusing its efforts on elevating the impact, visibility, and voice of organizations doing bridging work.

We explore how Listen First brings bridging organ...

Welcoming Week is an annual event put on by the organization Welcoming America to support communities seeking to increase belonging among all members of their communities, including immigrants.

The theme for 2021event is “Belonging Begins With Us” - reminding all of us that we can do our part to help others feel welcomed.

My guests are:

Jordyne Krumroy, Senior Regional Manager for Welcoming America

-AND-

Anthony Salas, Senior Manager of...

In this episode, we explore the importance of bridging and relational infrastructure to achieving healthy communities.

Our guest is Nang Mo Kham, Eisenhower Fellow & senior health specialist at the World Bank.

Based in Myanmar. Nang sees herself as someone who can help establish a system that knits together local services, including education, public health, and others, to improve access for everyone, no matter their social stat...