Reconnecting to our democratic instincts

Between our 24/7 news climate of too often empty debate, a presidential election coming up, and economic turmoil all around, it can feel like our best democratic instincts--to gather and talk to those in our local community, to pause and consider our values, to help one another through tough times--have been drowned out by all the noise. Well here at the Center, we're ready to reconnect with who we really are as individuals, neighbors, and a nation.

We'd like to invite you to part of a first-of-its-kind initiative that we are undertaking, with the help of our friend and collaborator Courtney E. Martin, called Healing Democracy Action Circles.

Starting in January, neighbors, congregants, colleagues, and students are gathering all over the country, once a month for a couple of hours, to explore the habits of the heart that Parker Palmer describes in his new book, Healing the Heart of Democracy.

1. An understanding that we are all in this together.

2. An appreciation of the value of ”otherness.“

3. An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways.

4. A sense of personal voice and agency.

5. A capacity to create community.

We'll provide a free guide to anyone who wants to participate, plus lots of inspiration along the way through Twitter, Facebook, and our blog. This is intended to be a space apart from the daily debate; instead, we hope it enlivens everyone involved through provocative questions, inspiring prompts from viral videos on YouTube to favorite old poems, fun experiments in citizenship, and renewed communities of people who may disagree about any number of things, but all want our politics to reflect the true dignity of the human spirit.

If you have a group already in mind, fantastic. Start rounding them up and telling them about this wonderful opportunity so you can start to plan where and when you'll meet. As we all know, calendars fill up fast these days. And if you're someone who would like to follow along solo, soaking up all the energy we hope to facilitate online, that's great, too.