Commit to Civility
NC League of Municipalities, Raleigh, NC
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
iCalendar
Eastern Standard Time
Connect. Respect. Solutions.
“Civility is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs, and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process.”
-Tomas Spath and Cassandra Dahnke, Founders, Institute for Civility in Government.
NCLM's Commit to Civility is a multi-step program that showcases a city or town council's pledge to civil conduct and leadership. This training is step one in the program.
- Morning Session: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Afternoon Session: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
This course is free to NCLM members. Please only register for one session.
Program Purpose
NCLM's Commit to Civility program promotes civility in local government and recognizes those governing boards that dedicate themselves to this approach. It engages and challenges municipal officials to embrace civility throughout the course of their work within their communities. This program equips leaders with the information and skills needed to maintain composure and move through emotionally charged situations with a respectful and solutions-oriented approach.
The objectives are to understand that:
- Civility is about disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one’s preconceptions, and teaching others to do the same. Civility is the hard work of staying present even with those with deep-rooted and fierce disagreements.
- Civility is inherently political, not only because it’s a prerequisite for civic action, but because it’s about negotiating interpersonal power such that everyone’s voice is heard.
Certificate Requirements
- Have at least 75% of your Board attend the two-hour Commit to Civility training
- Have course participants sign the individual pledge
- Adopt the ‘Commit to Civility’ Resolution at an upcoming council meeting (a template is provided at the training)
- Submit a signed copy of the Resolution and the individual pledge forms for at least 75% of the governing Board to learning@nclm.org
These steps will be discussed in full at the training.
Schedule
NCLM is proud to host three upcoming sessions of Commit to Civility. Participants need only to attend one. These first two will be in person, held at NCLM offices in downtown Raleigh. A virtual option will also be available on June 20, and more information for that virtual session can be found here.
Municipalities who earn the Commit to Civility certificate will be recognized at CityVision.