West Virginia Center for Civic Life
The West Virginia. Center for Civic Life is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that helps engage our citizens in community discussions of important public issues that affect our state and nation.
Think. Talk. Act.
Moving from community dialogue to action
Community dialogues help citizens better understand the complexity of community problems and gain a better command of the basic facts of the issue. This deeper understanding and an appreciation for the emotions and values that are in tension when facing tough choices is necessary to build a common ground for taking action about the issue or problem.
Many people in West Virginia, in other states, and around the world, have used community dialogue processes as the first step in creating a foundation for citizens to take action to improve their community. The insights that emerge through open discussion among a diverse cross-section of citizens can serve as the basis for community action planning processes that can effect significant change in a community.
Useful planning tools to move from dialogue to action:
- Moving from Deliberation to Action: What Can We Do?
- Setting Priorities for Action: Helping a Group Decide Which Ideas to Work On
- The Action Summit: Structuring the Action Event to Meet Your Community’s Goals
- Sample Action Planning Summit Agenda