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Jan. 11-15, 2021

National Democracy Week

Organizer: Declaration for American Democracy

January 2021 will mark the beginning of a new chapter for our democracy. Together, we can make transformational changes to our democracy by passing the For The People Act (H.R.1), which will get big money out of politics, break down barriers to voting, and hold public officials accountable. Democracy Week (Jan 11-15), a series of events and actions hosted by the Declaration for American Democracy, aiming to mobilize Americans around the importance of advancing our democracy in all aspects of our government.

Location: Virtual

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congress
Jan. 15, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Eastern)

New Member Training: Setting Up a Congressional Office

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Welcome to the best rollercoaster ride of your life! You're about to be a part of one of the most amazing experiences in public service: the United States Congress. This webinar is designed for all those associated with setting up and running a freshman office in the House or Senate.

The webinar will include recent freshman office managers, offering their perspective on "I wish I knew then what I know now." This is a MUST attend for at least ONE representative from every first term Member office.

Location: Webinar

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campaign finance
Jan. 21, 2021
7:00 PM (Eastern)

Democracy Book Club

Organizer: Open Democracy

For the inaugural meeting of the Open Democracy Book Club, leaders Joe Bagshaw and Kate Coon have selected "Corporations Are Not People: Reclaiming Democracy from Big Money and Global Corporations" by Jeffrey Clements, who will join us in the discussion of his book.

Location: Webinar

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civic ed
Jan. 22, 2021
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern)

Building a Better Democracy Through Civic Education

Organizer: Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

The past 20 years have highlighted many promising practices in how states and communities can support schools to ensure they prepare more and more diverse young people for democracy and civic life.

The Boston Foundation and Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tisch College invite you to join in a conversation on evidence-based lessons on how to prepare young people to thrive in civic life.

In this webinar, we will share evidence-based research on how we can prepare young people to be active citizens. We will share lessons on how our pioneering research has shaped the civic education field and centered equitable democracy, including through evaluation partnerships on state civic education policy in Florida and Illinois, and most recently through cutting-edge research in Massachusetts.

Location: Webinar

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ranked-choice voting
Jan. 26, 2021
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Eastern)

Are we electing people who truly represent us?

Organizer: The People

Ranked-choice voting is increasingly touted as the most promising reform to democratize and depolarize our politics and elections. Join The People NH and NH RCV for an introduction to ranked-choice voting. We'll learn how it works and why some think it could be the answer to extreme polarization in the Granite State.

Location: Webinar

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28th amendment
Jan. 26, 2021
7:30 PM (Eastern)

Friend Banking Training

Organizer: American Promise

We are kicking off 2021 with a training and engagement event that will not only strengthen and empower our national grassroots network but also enable our supporters to connect with their networks about the great work they're doing to help pass the 28th amendment. Join Dr. Jessica and Marnie as they host American Promise's first friend banking event. Whether you're new to the friend banking world or an experienced friend banker, this new skills training will ground supporters in the mechanics of friend banking, and develop a detailed script that allows our supporters to communicate the American Promise mission effectively. Please help us grow our national grassroots network by registering for our latest skills training.

Location: Webinar

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elections
Jan. 27, 2020
5:30 PM (Eastern)

How to Change Election Rules so Voters Trust the Results

Organizer: Reform Elections Now

Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent, you should be concerned about the way we run elections and communicate the results. We cannot afford to have nearly half our voters thinking our elections are not free and fair. We cannot have our government attacked by our citizens. We cannot afford to have another election as divisive as this one.

Please join us for a discussion of how to change election rules of voting, processing, and counting so that we can rebuild the trust of all voters that elections are free and fair.

Location: Webinar

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race
Jan. 28, 2021
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Pacific)

'Eastpointe' Film Screening & Panel Discussion

Organizers: Fix Democracy First, FairVote WA and More Equitable Democracy

Join filmmaker Grace McNally plus other special guests for a screening and panel discussion of "Eastpointe." When a quiet suburb of Detroit is sued by the Department of Justice, a long history of racial tensions is unearthed and an historic election takes place. "Eastpointe" is the story of a community coping with demographic change in the United States.

When the Department of Justice sued the small town of Eastpointe and alleged its election systems were racist, the town balked at the accusation. After tense negotiations, both parties agreed to allow ranked-choice voting to be the remedy, a historic first for a Voting Rights Act case. The film follows the DOJ officials, community members and candidates during this historic election.

Location: Webinar

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congress
Jan. 29, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Eastern)

New Member Training: Hiring an Effective and Diverse Staff

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

This webinar is designed for all those associated with setting up and running a freshman office in the House or Senate. The program will include congressional staff hiring guidance the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) has collected during its 43-years of service to the Congress, and will feature experts on the value and strategies of hiring a diverse staff.

Location: Webinar

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congress
Feb. 2, 2021
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Eastern)

The VIRTUAL Citizen-Advocate's Toolkit

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic, keeping in touch with constituents is among the most important job aspects for Members of Congress. With most Members of Congress taking steps to observe social distancing protocols, congressional offices quickly adopted the use of virtual platforms to communicate with the people they represent. This presentation will highlight and provide tips for effectively using virtual advocacy strategies for engaging lawmakers including virtual meetings, emailing staff, social media, online and telephone town hall meetings, and more.

Location: Webinar

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congress
Feb. 5, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Eastern)

New Member Training: Setting Up a Scheduling Operation

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

This webinar is designed for all those associated with setting up and running a freshman office in the House or Senate. Setting up a scheduling operation is one of, if not the most difficult tasks for a new Member of Congress and staff. The Congressional Management Foundation conducted a survey of congressional staff working for freshman in the 116th Congress, and asked what were the most difficult tasks in setting up the office. The #1 answer (and this isn't #1 in a good way) was "setting up a scheduling operation."

We encourage/strongly implore all freshman offices to send at least ONE representative to this session where you'll gain insights not presented in any other training or venue. Presenters include two seasoned congressional schedulers offering valuable guidance on how to avoid major mishaps.

Location: Webinar

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civil discourse
Feb. 12, 2021
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (Eastern)

Introduction to Dialogue Across Differences

Organizer: Essential Partners

This one-day workshop uses real-world case studies to introduce participants to the theory and practice of EP's Reflective Structured Dialogue framework. For three decades, our unique approach has transformed conflicts across the country and the world—but the basic principles of EP's framework are applicable to local community issues, organizational development, congregations, and everyday conversations.

Intentional communication helps individuals, organizations, and communities build trust, enhance resilience, and engage in constructive conversations despite deeply-held differences of value, belief, opinion, or identity. This workshop provides a set of simple tools to achieve those goals.

Location: 186 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Suite 212, Cambridge, MA

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congress
Feb. 22, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Eastern)

New Member Training: Setting Up Constituent Communications and Engagement Systems

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

One of the most important roles for new Members of Congress is to build connect with their constituents. Yet engaging with more than 700,000 people in a House district and millions in a state is a daunting challenge requiring Members of Congress to be resourceful, strategic, and innovative. A huge part of the investment for office is their constituent communications (email/mail) systems - and many congressional offices think this is where they should heavily invest their resources.

However, recent research by the Congressional Management Foundation and a team of academics reveals that Members of Congress that think and plan more creatively about engagement with "The People" they represent can use the vast communications tools at their disposal to actually build trust in Congress! Join CMF and a distinguished panel of experts as we walk you through the various tools available and how best to use them - telephone town halls, online town halls, and social media.

And...oh yea, almost forgot: This session will also teach you how you should, and should not, answer constituent mail.

This webinar is designed for all those associated with setting up and running a freshman office in the House or Senate. It is open to all first-term congressional staff.

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Location: Webinar

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congress
March 31, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern)

Power Shifts in Washington: How Elections Affect Advocacy Strategies

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

A new Congress means new committee and subcommittee chairs, new alliances, and significant changes in the political terrain on Capitol Hill. When power shifts in Congress from one political party to the other, an advocate who may have been represented by an anonymous backbencher the year before might become the conduit to the most important legislator for their cause. This presentation will show advocates the value of identifying key committee chairs; and why some citizen advocates have more influence than others in specific parts of the legislative process.

Location: Webinar

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congress
April 30, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern)

Backstage Pass: Behind the Scenes of Congressional Decision Making

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Many Americans believe that lawmakers are unreachable – that they don't care about what constituents think and that influencing legislative outcomes is impossible and a waste of time. Yet CMF research shows that Members of Congress strongly believe that constituents are a valuable and informative resource in the decision-making process. Your "backstage pass" will dispel myths about Congress and provide practical strategies on how decisions are really made and by whom.

Location: Webinar

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civil discourse
May 17-19, 2021

Urgency of Civility: A Springboard for Action

Organizer: The Urgency of Civility

The planning for the 2021 Urgency of Civility has already started! The 2021 Urgency of Civility conference will be May 17-19, 2021. Mark the date in your calendar.

The location of the 2021 conference will at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. We will have one evening session at the US Capital Building, home of the US Congress in Washington D.C.

Location: George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr., Alexandria, VA

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civil discourse
May 21, 2021
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (Eastern)

Introduction to Dialogue Across Differences

Organizer: Essential Partners

This one-day workshop uses real-world case studies to introduce participants to the theory and practice of EP's Reflective Structured Dialogue framework. For three decades, our unique approach has transformed conflicts across the country and the world—but the basic principles of EP's framework are applicable to local community issues, organizational development, congregations, and everyday conversations.

Intentional communication helps individuals, organizations, and communities build trust, enhance resilience, and engage in constructive conversations despite deeply-held differences of value, belief, opinion, or identity. This workshop provides a set of simple tools to achieve those goals.

Location: 186 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Suite 212, Cambridge, MA

Register

civil discourse
June 17-18, 2021
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (Eastern)

Advanced Facilitation Skills Workshop

Organizer: Essential Partners

Anyone who leads meetings can be thrown off balance in difficult moments. The difficulty might be an unexpected tension among group members or challenges to the facilitator's legitimacy. As a facilitator, you avoid "deer in headlights" moments by developing the capacity to stay cool and think on your feet.

This workshop helps experienced facilitators navigate these delicate, confrontational, or explosive moments effectively, with purpose and poise. The curriculum leverages reflective practices and real-world scenarios to develop a facilitator's existing tools to meet the needs of the most challenging circumstances.

Location: Webinar

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congress
June 30, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern)

Grassroots’ Return on Investment: Turning Advocacy into $$$ for Your Network

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Why do so many nonprofits, associations and companies have headquarters in Washington, DC or at least a Washington office? (Hint: this is not a trick question.) Obviously, these groups understand that decisions made in Washington can have a big impact on their members, agencies, employees, and their operations. This program will unpack results from CMF's survey of national advocacy groups and the government relations professionals who represent them, and will examine advocacy strategies that groups primarily invest in, why, and how much those strategies influence congressional decisions. The program also presents research on how advocacy departments can add value not just to an organization's legislative agenda, but to the financial bottom line of the group and its network.

Location: Webinar

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congress
Sept. 30, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern)

Stay-cation Advocacy: Building Relationships Back Home

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Members of Congress often are harried and overbooked when in Washington. Interacting with lawmakers back home can be the best strategy to get "quality time" with key decision makers. In this session, participants will learn about who lawmakers listen to and why; the most effective tactics and strategies to use in the district or state; how to build long-term relationships with lawmakers and their staff; and the best opportunities for setting up meetings and events back home.

Location: Webinar

Register

civil discourse
Nov. 18, 2021
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (Eastern)

Introduction to Dialogue Across Differences

Organizer: Essential Partners

This one-day workshop uses real-world case studies to introduce participants to the theory and practice of EP's Reflective Structured Dialogue framework. For three decades, our unique approach has transformed conflicts across the country and the world—but the basic principles of EP's framework are applicable to local community issues, organizational development, congregations, and everyday conversations.

Intentional communication helps individuals, organizations, and communities build trust, enhance resilience, and engage in constructive conversations despite deeply-held differences of value, belief, opinion, or identity. This workshop provides a set of simple tools to achieve those goals.

Location: 186 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Suite 212, Cambridge, MA

Register

congress
Dec. 31, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern)

Using Research to Connect the Dots Between You and Your Lawmaker

Organizer: Congressional Management Foundation

Despite the narrative presented by Hollywood and the media, lawmakers are people too. Before being elected, they had careers, attended schools and universities, or volunteered in their community. This presentation will explore strategies for using research to connect the dots between issues advocates care about to those that their Members care about.

Location: Webinar

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