While the federal government struggles to find common-ground, local governments shoulder more and more of the responsibility for creating stronger communities. Last month, the New York Times hosted the “Cities for Tomorrow” conference to explore local efforts to work across partisan divides. In the article from , “Local Officials Tackle How to Govern in a Divided America,” getting things done required leaders “to build relationships where [they] can” and that leaders “can find crucial allies outside politics.”
The “Cities for Tomorrow” conference included several discussions about the role of local communities in working to address immigration. For an issue that generates such vitriol nationally, several local communities found unexpected allies locally.
The importance of local communities and local leaders finding creative ways to bridge divides inspired National Civic League’s All–America Conversations Toolkit. The toolkit provides resources for local communities to rebuild trust and establish stronger relationships and identify and nurture connections with unusual allies.