[ONLINE] Revitalizing Civic Engagement through Collaborative Governance: Success Stories From Around the United States

With democracy under threat and deepening distrust of democratic institutions, collaborative governance—or “co-governance”—offers an opportunity to create new forms of civic power by creating authentic pathways for different people to enter into policymaking, making it more representative of, and responsive to, the greater public.

As the Biden Administration issued its second historic Executive Order on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities, there is renewed public momentum to deliver more equitable policies and increased engagement with underserved communities. This order calls for a sustained commitment to transforming how the government functions. And, as incoming federal dollars trickle down to communities, we are in a unique position to continue exploring and highlighting creative forms of equitable governance.

Building on our first co-governance case studies from across the country, New America’s Political Reform program recently launched a new series of case studies to spotlight innovative examples of this work on the ground to engage traditionally underserved communities in co-governance initiatives across rural and urban communities. The series highlights the work of community organizations including CivicLex, DelawareCares, Local Progress, Puget Sound Sage, and Georgia STAND-UP, as well as one case study highlighting local government in New York City’s Public Engagement Unit.

Join New America, The Forge, and Freedman Consulting’s What Works Plus funder collaborative on Thursday, March 9th, 2023 from 12pm - 1:30pm EST for a discussion with practitioners and advocates on best practices for co-governance, promising strategies for authentic engagement, opportunities with digital technologies, and lessons learned from on-the-ground experiences from southern and rural communities across the United States.

Speakers:

Dr. Sarah Sayeed, @SarahSayeedNYC
Chair and Executive Director, NYC Civic Engagement Commission

Richard Young, @rbryoung
Executive Director, CivicLex

Deborah Scott
Chief Executive Officer, Georgia STAND-UP

Peggy Flynn
City Manager, City of Petaluma

Dr. Hollie Russon Gilman, @hrgilman (moderator)
Senior Fellow, Political Reform program, New America