Lunch & Learn: Friendship and Democracy in Community Life

Description

Allison D. Rank, Ph.D. 

Director of the Center for Civic Education

University of Northern Iowa 

Democracy depends on our willingness to live and work alongside one another through disagreement including accepting the outcomes of elections and other community decisions. This event highlights the concept of civic friendship and considers how it enhances our ability to live in community. More specifically, civic friendship provides an avenue for us to consider the challenges communities face today, discuss ways each of us can remain active in civic life while staying true to our own perspectives, and focus on how to rebuild connections across differences while strengthening trust in local settings. 

Through this session, participants will reflect on how to: 

• Recognize the importance of civic friendship in sustaining democracy 

• Participate in civic life while respecting different viewpoints 

• Build habits of trust and cooperation in daily community interactions 

This gathering invites anyone interested in creating stronger communities where disagreement does not prevent people from belonging. 

Photo and Video Release: Staff and contractors of the Grow Cedar Valley often take photographs and shoots video during events. The photos and videos may be used on social media, in brochures, publications, and on our website.