Through the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative, the University of Connecticut is working to increase democratic and civic capacity by supporting community dialogues on critical issues, providing moderator and facilitation training for dialogues and deliberations, and partnering with campus colleagues and local institutions to increase meaningful participation by all community members.
This initiative is run by Dodd Human Rights Impact and is supported by the Human Rights Institute, the Office of Global Affairs, UConn's Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Humanities Institute, UConn Extension and the Division of Student Affairs - Parent's Fund.
Events & Announcements

2/25 Facilitator Training
Thursday February 25 4:00-5:30 pm Encounters is a structured-dialogue model that allows participants to come face-to-face and converse about issues that matter in their community. Encounters dives deeply into subjects through facilitated, small-group dialogues followed by a “question and answer”-style conversation with content-area specialists. Encounters team members will facilitate a “how-to” training for those […]
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2/28 Film & Dialogue
Join us this Sunday, February 28, from 6:00-9:00 pm, for a film screening of “She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry” and a dialogue to follow the film Link to register available at: https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/onstage/g.php?MTID=eb3e334681b622ffb9945a0efaf60a6b9 Co-hosted by Dodd Impact’s Democracy & Dialogues Initiative and the UConn Women’s Center
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3/4 By Our Love
Thursday March 4, 2021 7:00-9:00pm The creators of “By Our Love,” an animated short video produced by UConn’s Greenhouse Studios, will facilitate a dialogue in partnership with the Encounters Series, titled “Paradox in Political Tribalism,” which will be held virtually via Zoom on February 4, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. Released on January 22nd, “By Our […]
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Calendar
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3/9
ICD Fellows Meeting
ICD Fellows Meeting
Tuesday, March 9th, 2021
11:30 AM - 01:30 PM
Other Zoom
Initiative on Campus Dialogues Fellows March meeting.
For more information visit: https://democracyanddialogues.dodd.uconn.edu/Contact Information: dialogues@uconn.edu
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3/11
Race & Community Dialogue
Race & Community Dialogue
Thursday, March 11th, 2021
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Other Zoom Online Event
This dialogue provides the opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to discuss, share experiences, and ask questions about race. There are two opportunities to attend: Thursday March 11 or Thursday March 18.
Given the immense amount of diversity on the UConn campus, it is important to engage in meaningful dialogues about race and racism. It is up to college campuses to respond to, engage, and reflect the diversity of their students. This workshop provides the opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to discuss, share experiences, and ask questions about race on campus. This session focuses on the barriers of creating a more diverse and accepting university as well as discussing concrete steps that we might take as a community, as an institution, and as individuals to combat racism and build a more diverse and inclusive campus environment.
For more information and a link to register for the event visit: https://democracyanddialogues.dodd.uconn.edu/2021/02/02/03-11-03-18-race-and-community-dialogue-3/
Co-hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative of the Dodd Human Rights Impact and UConn’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Contact Dialogues@uconn.edu with any questions.Contact Information: dialogues@uconn.edu
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3/24
Encounters: Bushnell Park & The Paradoxes Of Urban Renewal
Encounters: Bushnell Park & The Paradoxes Of Urban Renewal
Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Other Zoom Online Event
'Urban renewal’ and ‘beautification’ initiatives bring multiple benefits to our lives and communities. But what are the costs of such projects? We invite you to explore the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of urban revitalization through an evaluation of Bushnell Park on Hartford’s neighborhoods and residents.
Nineteenth-century reformers advocated for urban parks as a cure for increasing crime, poverty, and pollution in U.S. cities. Bushnell Park replaced a site referred to as "hell without the fire" filled with tanneries, tenements, livestock pens, and garbage alongside the polluted Park River. Its creation brought a beauty to the city which continues to define our public space; it also displaced two hundred people living in poverty--mostly Irish laborers and African American servants--working in Hartford's affluent households. How do we weigh the benefits of urban improvements with its impact on the most city's most vulnerable populations? How should past experiences of ‘improvement’ inform future projects? Join us for facilitated small group discussions addressing these questions.
Hosted by Connecticut's Old State House
For more information and a link to register, visit:
https://democracyanddialogues.dodd.uconn.edu/2021/02/02/03-24-21-bushnell-park-paradoxes-urban-renewal/Contact Information: dialogues@uconn.edu
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4/7
ICD Fellows Meeting
ICD Fellows Meeting
Wednesday, April 7th, 2021
11:30 AM - 01:30 PM
Other Zoom
Initiative on Campus Dialogues Fellows April meeting.
For more information visit: https://democracyanddialogues.dodd.uconn.edu/Contact Information: dialogues@uconn.edu
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4/22
Encounters: The City Beautiful
Encounters: The City Beautiful
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Other Online Event
Participate in an Encounters discussion about the way in which urbanism, public sculpture, and the City Beautiful movement perpetuated and solidified racist exclusions at the beginning of the modern age. The World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago aimed to establish an experience of wonder and innovation in an endless array of exhibits showcasing artistic achievements, technological improvements, and increased knowledge of the world. Over 27 million visitors from across the globe visited the fair to partake in the spectacle that covered Chicago’s Midway, However, the vision of progress endorsed by the World’s Fair was undercut by its omissions. About thirty years after the end of the Civil War, the fair tended to essentialize non-white participants and excluded African Americans from participating in the displays beyond caricature in racist stereotypes. This Encounters discussion will explore the critiques decrying the absence of black culture at the world’s fair.
REGISTER HERE:
https://democracyanddialogues.dodd.uconn.edu/2021/01/02/4-22-encounters-city-beautiful/
Encounters is a series of free virtual discussions fueled by short readings and timely subjects. Co-sponsored with the Hartford History Center at the Hartford Public Library, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture, The Old State House, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative at the University of Connecticut.Contact Information: dialogues@uconn.edu
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