NCDD Conference Recap: Insights and Reflections
The Mathews Center had an exceptional experience at the 9th National Coalition For Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference took place from Friday, October 13th to Sunday, October 15, 2023. The NCDD is a network of innovators who bring people together across divides to discuss, decide, and take action together effectively on today’s toughest issues. NCDD serves as a gathering place, a resource center, a news source, and a facilitative leader.
The conference's theme for this year was "reconnect, reflect, renew, and recommit," and the program was designed to get attendees to do just that. The conference provided many interactive and engaging sessions for participants. Each day's sessions and plenaries provided valuable insights that aligned with the overall theme of reconnecting, reflecting, renewing, or recommitting. Over the course of the three days, the conference offered numerous insightful sessions, with each day featuring two distinct workshop sessions, each offering a choice of eleven workshops.
We were delighted to support some of our DMC connections who actively participated in the conference. One of the highlights was seeing Cristin Brawner, the former Executive Director of the Mathews Center, co-emceeing the conference. We had the privilege of joining her in a session titled "Partners in Conversation and Community: Creating Regional Networks for Dialogue & Deliberation," which was held in collaboration with the members of the Southern Deliberative Democracy Network (SDDN). Additionally, we were thrilled to support Hollie Cost, a member of the DMC's board, who also took part in this session. They held an outstanding session on how regional networks can be instrumental in promoting shared learning and fostering creative collaboration among dialogue and deliberation practitioners. It was a great opportunity to hear each member share their experiences regarding the challenges and opportunities in the South for deliberative democracy.
Among the connections we were also delighted to see our partners from the Troy Office of Civic Engagement. We were pleased to see community partner Lauren Cochran and former JOIP intern Chauntina Whittle. Additionally, we were very impressed to meet Troy's current JOIP intern, Jayden McQueen. We were pleased to hear about their session, “The Civic Lab - Strengthening Youth Engagement in Your Community,” in which they showcased activities from Troy's Civic Lab. The Civic Lab focuses on nurturing civic engagement in communities through meaningful partnerships with local youth organizations.
Another great session was led by DMC faculty mentor Mark Wilson, Cristin Brawner, and Nicole Moore from the National Center for Civil & Human Rights. They used the Mathews Center's "The Creek War of 1813-1814" issue guide to facilitate a highly insightful deliberation, skillfully led by Dr. Mark Wilson, on a challenging time in Southern history.
The weekend was filled with enlightening, insightful and thought-provoking discussions, offering a platform for healthy conversations on a wide range of challenging topics. The conference succeeded in creating a safe and inclusive space for dialogue and provided participants with the opportunity to reconnect, reflect, renew, and recommit over the three-day event. Our recent experience at the National Coalition For Dialogue & Deliberation conference was truly inspiring. We're excited about the valuable connections we've made and can't wait to join this dynamic community again. This conference reinforced our commitment to promoting civic engagement and open dialogue. We're eager for the journey ahead as we reconnect, reflect, renew, and recommit to our shared mission.