Our Crowdfunding Groups
The National Institute for Civil Discourse is funded solely through the gifts of private donors like YOU. While we are a part of the University of Arizona, we receive no state funding. Take the civility pledge and support the advancement of democracy by making a gift today.
Our Inspiration
The National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) was established in May of 2011 after the tragic Tucson, Arizona shooting that killed six people and wounded thirteen others including former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. All were participating in a “Congress on Your Corner” event, a fundamental act of democracy.
In response to the tragedy, the Tucson community came together to create NICD, a non-partisan organization based at the University of Arizona that would promote healthy and civil political debate. NICD is devoted to the same principles that motivated Congresswoman Giffords: that people with different values and political preferences can discuss their differences in a civil and productive manner.
The 2016 presidential election brought a new and very disturbing change in our politics and our people. The vitriolic and bigoted language and name calling of the 2016 election cycle was something that we have not seen previously in modern political history. The tone of the campaigns even led to physical violence at many political rallies. Many groups of Americans were publicly vilified and treated profoundly disrespectfully.
And now, eight months after the election, ordinary Americans are still vilifying, demonizing and hating other Americans who think differently than they do. The latest tragedy of neo-Nazis spewing hate speech, terror and violence on the streets of Charlottesville has revealed the ugliest side of our country’s deep divides. We have not seen this chasm and judgment about people because of who they are and who they voted for since Reconstruction. People in families, neighborhoods, and congregations that had been perfectly comfortable with one another in the past are now unable to communicate with each other without judgment and disrespect.
Given this deep divide among Americans, it is imperative that we find a path forward to help unite us. This will require Americans to begin listening and engaging with one another across their differences. Re-establishing the social norms of civility and respect will require real leadership and a nationwide effort.
The National Institute for Civil Discourse’s Revive Civility initiative helps the American people develop their civil discourse skills, provides positive mechanisms to become engaged in our democracy, and assists the public in reestablishing a healthy, functioning democracy.
As a counter-narrative to the incivility permeating our public spaces, NICD is spearheading a national grassroots initiative to Revive Civility to give Americans and leader solution-oriented actions to restore and call for civility in our democracy.
Citizens and policy makers nationwide are answering that call, becoming civility ambassadors and standing up declaring their commitment to civility through:
For more information on this initiative, please go to the website. #revivecivility
'Listen to America Bus Tour'
Last month NICD was invited to partner with the HuffPost on their 'Listen to America' bus tour. On this 25 city tour across America we are talking to local communities about their hopes, fears, and dreams, and attitudes about the media. The goal, to showcase what we share as Americans, rather than what divides us through moving, multi-media story-telling.
Who We Are
The National Institute for Civil Discourse is a non-profit, non-partisan institute based at the University of Arizona dedicated to addressing incivility and political dysfunction in American democracy by promoting structural and behavioral change. Informed by research, NICD’s programs are designed to create opportunities for elected officials, the media, and the public to engage different voices respectfully and take responsibility for the quality of our public discourse and effectiveness of our democratic institutions. Their National Advisory Board includes former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Herbert Walker Bush; former Senators Tom Daschle and Olympia Snowe; former Secretaries of State Madeline Albright and Colin Powell; former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; and journalists like Katie Couric, Greta Van Susteren, and NPR’s Scott Simon.
Show your commitment to Civil Discourse! Take the Civility Pledge, have a 'texting' discussion with young people (Text Talk Revive Civility) or encourage your Mayor to declare your city a Partner in Civility!
NICD was established in May 2011. Help NICD move the needle toward bringing friends and families, politicians and constituents to the table of 'civility' through forums, panel discussions and trainings.
NICD's Next Generation for State Legislators, 'Building Trust Through Civil Discourse' workshops provide a safe place to learn to work together more effectively for the good of all their constituents. Provide operational support for a training.
NICD is honored to be part of the HuffPost 'Listen to America' Bus Tour. Provide promotional items and operational funds to continue outreach like this!
Help provide a team leader to organize a community conversation. NICD works across the country to bring diverse groups together for conversations on how to revive civility in a neighborhood, church or the community at large.
You understand the danger our country faces if places of higher ed are not open to encouraging every voice. Critics of the contemporary university have drawn attention to the scarcity of genuinely open conversation on college campuses. You can help change that.
Utilizing NICD’s innovative Text, Talk, Revive Civility and Respect (TTRCR) platform, small groups of people use text messaging on their cell phones to participate in conversations to revive civility and respect.
