Fostering collaboration and trust among civic innovators from right-of-center viewpoints and beyond

In partnership with conservative leaders and organizations from across the Citizen University network, we are setting out to explore a question that emerged from the CU network itself: how can pluralistic spaces be designed to truly and meaningfully support reciprocity and trust amongst cross-ideological groups?

We intend to explore this question through a two part project:

First, a series of gatherings designed with and for right-of-center participants, through which these leaders can both strengthen their own relationships and work, and generate ideas for our collaborative meeting structures that might better serve the needs of a wider ideological group. 

And second, we will use these learnings to inform CU’s approach to facilitating our own National Civic Collaboratory–and influence other gatherings & networks that aim to strengthen and support pluralism. 

We are specifically curious about the approach to language, assumptions, and the codes of contemporary civic life that help and hinder cross-ideological collaboration. We will use these engagements as both a testing ground and brain trust for new structures that can be integrated to more effectively support resource + power circulation across ideological groups, and build bonds of trust and affection that transcend political binaries.

Interested to learn more or get involved with our pilot gatherings in 2027? Get in touch with Moses Ngong