Daily Resource Highlight 5/10/2021

Posted by on May 10, 2021 at 4:57 PM

Below are the highlights and featured resources of this past week’s Daily* Resource.

5/03/2021 - Hear the Progressive AND Conservative Cases for Open Primaries

Earlier this month, we told you about Unite America’s report “The Primary Problem.” As a brief refresher, Unite America found that approximately 48% of U.S. House elections were decided by primary voters. Thus, primary elections are a critical opportunity for citizens to make their voices heard. In most states, however, you have to register with one party or the other to participate.

On May 11th @ 1 PM ET, the Bridge Alliance and Open Primaries will bring together two politicians -- a progressive Democrat and a conservative Republican -- who are both open primary advocates. Joe Kirby of South Dakota argues that conservatives should extend their faith in competition and a free market to the primary system. And Senator Chloe Maxmin of Maine believes that opening up their primaries is key to making her state an inclusive democracy. Register today for this thoughtful discussion on our primary systems.

Speaking of encouraging voting, the Campus Election Engagement Project just released its annual report and….wow. CEEP has reached 6.4 million students in 30 states, and they are intent on building on that success. In particular, they want to encourage students to vote in local elections, which tend to see markedly less participation. They also want to connect with HBCUs and STEM programs, who tend to see lower voter turnout among their students.

 

5/06/2021 - Interactivity Foundation Wants to Help You Master Collaboration

If you asked me to define the Bridge Alliance and its member organizations in one word, I would say “collaboration.” The Alliance was built on the principle that we are better together than we are alone, and that belief is firmly embedded in our Five Principles, which every organization agrees to when they join the Alliance.

A willingness to collaborate, however, is only half the game -- you also need to know how to collaborate. It takes skill and patience to achieve a “meeting of the minds.” The Interactivity Foundation and its leaders have mastered the art of collaborative discussion, and they are now offering a “Certificate in Collaborative Discussion” to individuals who want to gain their own mastery of this important skill. The best part? The program is free. That’s because IF wants to encourage collaborative thinking as far and wide as possible.

Are you a collaboration expert already? IF wants you, too! Specifically, they are looking for eight individuals who want to be Collaborative Discussion Coaches. The Coaches will be taught how to administer the course, and will be given a small stipend in appreciation of their time and commitment to collaborative discussion skill building. If this sounds like something that would interest you and you’re available from June 2nd through June 8th, be sure to apply today.

 

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