In a recent blog post, Joe Szakos, co-author of We Make Change: Community Organizers Talk About What They Do — And Why, argues that movements are built on relationships. He says the following: "...great organizing is done one by one by one by one, being intentionally diverse, helping people learn leadership skills, and having everyone learning from each other about how everything is interconnected."

The story of the relationship between Dennis Donovan, a Research Fellow at the Center for Democracy and Citizenship (CDC), and Megan Kadrmas, an undergraduate studying journalism at the University of Minnesota, is a story of how fruitful public relationships can be initiated anywhere.

As Dennis tells it, he was playing with his band, the Midas Touch, at Mancini's, when he noticed an unusual group of restaurant patrons. As Megan says, "we caught their attention because... well... I guess we were dressed up and the only people under the age of 35 there besides the bartender."

A long-time community organizer with a focus on youth organizing, Dennis is always interested in meeting people, especially students. During one of the band's breaks, he went over to the group and engaged them in conversation. He learned that the group was comprised of college students at the University of Minnesota. He further learned that one of the students, Megan, was studying journalism.

Dennis knows that developing civic agency and building effective action groups means recognizing diverse talents. At the time, the Warrior to Citizen campaign was just beginning to train volunteers to conduct oral histories of soldiers returning from Iraq. Dennis asked Megan, as a journalism student, if she'd like to participate. Megan says, "I thought collecting oral histories from soldiers would be an interesting way to expand my interviewing experience and maybe learn some new techniques."

Megan's work with the oral history project evolved into an independent study the next semester, in which she studied public work skills and the process of relationship building. Sometime towards the end of the semester, Megan says, "[Dennis] asked me if I would be interested in doing an embedment project with the National Guard. I jumped at the idea because it was a great opportunity to challenge myself, it would look great on a resume, and I got credit for it. But most profound was the opportunity to make connections with people at the base. I learned that military men are still normal people with their own histories, motives, and goals."

Dennis and Megan will continue their work together this fall. Megan will look to embed herself with the Minnesota National Guard in Kosovo, and is aiming to help Dennis make connections within the Journalism school to further establish the embedment project as a worthwhile class for journalism students.

The lesson of Mancini's? Relationships can be initiated in even the most unlikely of places. From their chance encounter, Megan Kadrmas and Dennis Donovan established a connection through which both are gaining and learning from one another, and through which new public wealth is created.

• Read the stories that Megan wrote and see videos other journalism students produced as a result of the embedment project.

The book, a hands-on guide to effecting change in America by taking action in your community, urges a change in paradigm about the meaning of democracy. Democracy is not something we choose people to do for us through election. Democracy is a society that all of us build every day.

In The Citizen Solution, Boyte incites readers to join today's "citizen movement," offering practical tools for how we can change the face of America by focusing on issues close to home. Grounding his arguments in the country's tradition of "populism," Boyte offers practical tips on identifying potential citizen leaders and working through cultural differences without sacrificing identities.

Each point is illustrated by inspiring real-life examples of citizens who have prompted change: An immigrant community that created a cultural wellness center. An organization of mutiracial, multifaith congregations that is tacking tough social problems. A cluster of suburban neighborhoods that came together to take back Sundays from overzealous youth sports organizations. For readers doubting their ability to make a significant difference in our world, this how-to book will show the way.

The ESLC holds accessibility as a top priority, and it takes several approaches to ensuring that programs are widely available and easy to connect with. Public work approaches include the creation and publication of a summer youth guide that lists all programs available for East Side youth, the operation of free circulator buses in the neighborhoods, and collaborating to plan and provide 10 weeks of free summer camps for the neighborhoods’ young people.

The free circulators anchor the ESLC’s efforts to create quality opportunities for East Side young people. The buses transport children to youth programs, libraries, and parks around the Dayton’s Bluff and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods.

One of the programs youth can reach on the circulator is Kidventure, the ESLC’s co-created summer camp for youth in grades K-7. ESLC partners, including Community Education and the East Side Arts Council, collaborated to recruit community teachers who lead children in fun and engaging workshops, with topics like Best of Recess, Art of Peace, and Circus Camp. The program has a slightly different twist for youth in grades 5-7, who work with a muralist, hip hop dance instructor, and a video producer on projects around the theme “Home, Hip Hop, and Hope.” College Group Leaders and Teen Teachers (hired through a partnership with the City of Saint Paul’s Youth Job Corps program) ensure that the youth build caring relationships with older mentors.

The theory of public work and the model created by the West Side’s Neighborhood Learning Community inspired much of the ESLC’s work, including the circulator buses. The East Side and West Side hope to create a culture of learning in their communities, and to make Saint Paul the model city for neighborhood-based public work.

• Download the East Side Youth Guide through the Saint Paul’s Web site at www.stpaul.gov. Click on “City Projects” on the homepage, then “Education Initiatives,” and then “Second Shift Initiative/Out-of-School Time.”

Recently, I scheduled an appointment with the University of Minnesota's Allergy and Asthma clinic. I wanted to determine the causes of a sharp increase in breathing problems related to the asthma I've had since childhood.

All of my previous experiences with doctors have followed the same general pattern. The doctor does an examination, asks a few questions, and writes a prescription for either medication or a course of action. Most appointments last fifteen to twenty minutes at most.

I therefore walked into the Allergy and Asthma clinic expecting to hear the doctor - the expert - solve my problem. But this appointment was different.

The doctor spoke to me as a peer, not as a client. She pushed me to think about possible causes, instead of guessing at the causes herself. Rather than "dumbing down" her language, she used appropriate medical terminology, patiently explaining to me those things that I didn't understand. She gave me frequent opportunities to ask questions, and I was surprised at how many questions, given the opportunities, I actually had. We were equals, working together to solve the problem of my asthma. The appointment lasted an hour and a half.

I had never been asked to be a partner in my own health. The result? I felt empowered like never before.

While Dr. McSherry may not yet be engaged in public work, she already holds many of the skills necessary to be a true citizen professional. As a citizen professional, she could participate in, or encourage the convening of, groups of asthma and allergy sufferers. These groups would be empowered to take citizen action to address the underlying causes of asthma in our communities.

The doctor helped me to uncover the realization that when it comes to health, we are the most obvious sources of knowledge. We are the experts.

So let's do something about it.

Visit and bookmark the blog or subscribe to its RSS newsfeed for stories of civic engagement that works – from communities in Minnesota, around the United States, and around the world. Read posts by internationally-known scholar Harry Boyte as he reflects on democracy in the lead up to elections for U.S. president. And let us know what YOU would like to read.

US poll a model of democracy in action June 12, Business Day

Although Genta is only 15 years old, she has a solid belief in the role that community and public work can play in creating a democratic culture. Since her introduction to Public Achievement several years ago, she and her classmates have tackled issues such HIV, drug use, and poverty through their school community.

Genta lives in Kosovo and recently celebrated as, after nine years of struggling for statehood, the Kosovar Assembly declared its independence from Serbia. The territory of Kosovo has always been a part of various empires, including the country of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Bloc of the USSR. Because of this, Kosovo has had a history strewn with nationalistic, ethic, and religious conflicts with its neighbors. Even now, the newly independent country of Kosovo is still opposed by some countries, including its neighbor, Serbia.

image from Washingon Post, February 18, 2008

Given the political turmoil and violent history of Kosovo, it is no surprise that young people in the country have struggled to have hope about the future. They have had little opportunity to develop public problem solving skills such as community organizing, group decision making, and deliberative discussion. These skills, usually learned through living in a democratic culture, are new to many citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.

When I asked Genta how she thinks she and her peers have benefited from using the Public Achievement model, she talked about the skills, the awareness, and the relationships that have come out of the work they have done in her school. Most of all, Genta shared with me the great hope that comes from working together toward a better country.

“Students have become more informed. We have learned to talk about our ideas and to debate things freely,” Genta related. She and others have worked to create the space where discussion and negotiation of viewpoints can occur after school. When I asked her why this was an important step towards a better republic, she talked of the power in people knowing “what they think” and learning the skills to take action around their beliefs. With great hope in the future, Genta sees Public Achievement as part of building a ”new democratic culture in Kosovo.”

“Violence cannot be used to find solutions,” Genta explained as she talked about the possibilities and the challenges in a new country. “In so many communities there are problems with crime or people doing drugs. These things happen because people don’t have hope that things will improve.”

With a vibrant and powerful vision for democracy and a dedication to the necessary work, Genta’s energy for the future is infectious. Through working as a school community, she and her peers have developed important relationships and done significant work that has encouraged them to, as Genta said, “Never give up, to be creative in solutions, and keep fighting for things up until the end.”

Genta’s school is a member of the Schools Plus network that includes Public Achievement in the educational culture of schools in many Eastern European countries. Two years ago Genta and other members of her school attended the PA Unite Conference in Popova Shapka, Macedonia.

The viewpoint and efforts of the squatters testify to their ingenuity and talent. But how did these marginalized people develop the kind of leadership skills that could stop violent demonstrations in a poor township?

Photo posted by Sokwanele on the Democracy News blog.

I would argue they developed leadership, vision, and generosity of spirit through popular education, or self-directed democratic learning which develops the capacities of ordinary people to become architects of their lives and agents of their own development.

Popular education programs, workers education schools, “people’s education,” learning circles, and democratic arts programs have a long and rich history in many countries. In South Africa, popular education was sponsored by churches, trade unions, civic associations, the Black Consciousness movement, and other groups, and was central to the movement against apartheid.

Ironically, popular education has battled to survive in post-apartheid South Africa. Adult education today is excessively formalized and geared to meeting generic standards, much like “No Child Left Behind” has constricted school curriculum in the U.S. There is a growing sense among many people in South Africa that a vital wellspring of democratic life and culture has weakened dramatically in the process.

This was part of the conversation at a colloquium held June 3 and 4 in the township of Gugulethu. The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) brought together 26 grassroots educators, civic leaders, organizers, and public intellectuals to organize for a new level of connection, self-consciousness, mutual support, and assertive public voice among popular educators in South Africa. IDASA, which now promotes democracy building and public work across Africa, has deep roots in popular education (its book, Living and Learning Democracy: Nonformal Adult Education in Sweden and South Africa, details this history and explains popular education and its impacts).

The other participants and I looked at current examples of popular education in South Africa, including the University of Abahlali, which involves thousands of squatters in 34 informal settlements in the province of Kwa Zulu Natal. This informal learning initiative – a true grassroots university – has emerged from the community organizing undertaken in the last several years by the Abahlali movement, which has fought for land and housing, an end to forced removals, and access to education, water, electricity, sanitation, health care and refuse removal. As people have organized and won tangible victories, Abahlali has impacted civic life, gender relations, and governance, and generated many learning efforts.

“Our struggle is thought in action,” said S’bu Zikode, a participant in the colloquium. “We define ourselves and our struggle.” Zikode described how the squatters were critical of projects that pay people to “think on behalf of poor people.”

Abahlali participants have developed several key concepts, such as “living politics,” which they distinguish from “party politics.” Abahlali participants have raised funds and sent dozens of people to the Durban and Pietermaritzburg campuses of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, working closely with the Paolo Freire Institute. Those taking university courses come back and teach what they’ve learned, with extensive discussion about how the knowledge can be appropriately adapted to squatter communities. The University of Abahlali has many other learning projects, including learning circles and a continuing process of debate and discussion about major issues.

There was a sense in the colloquium that basic “founding principles” could be agreed upon – for instance, the importance of developing people’s civic agency, popular power, and democratic education methods, the connection between popular education and broad social change and transformation, the need to challenge the calcification of formal education, and the need for new alliances to create a powerful voice for popular education. There was also a sense that a renewed movement for popular education might help revitalize the “civic vocation” of teachers, once central to the freedom movement. Next steps include planning and organizing meetings, including regional discussions.

The discussions were inspiring and energizing for everyone. And I felt, once again, how much potential there is for trans-Atlantic learning and exchange among those doing public work.

She called us all to be better people through her generosity and work for social change and democratic values. The Jane Addams School for Democracy was blessed by her for the past 12 years.

'Doña' embraced, helped immigrants like herself, June 3, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Harry Boyte and Steven Hahn: Obama picks up message that RFK popularized, June 5, Star Tribune

She and fellow students Nora O'Hara and Lauren Nikkola researched other efforts to engage young people, including the one-year-old Youth Commission convened by the mayor's office in St. Paul, Minnesota (see Second Shift Initiative).

They then made a formal presentation to the Summit-University Planning Council for a plan based on the Public Achievement organizing model, and were surprised with the response they received.

Listen to Annie and Nora talk about their work and what they've learned. They also welcome inquiries at heide060@umn.edu or ohar0066@umn.edu.

This year, one group of 9th graders was particularly concerned about the war in Iraq and returning veterans, especially their close family members who have been deployed to military combat zones. With Public Achievement they had a way to organize other people - and resources - to take action. As the school year winds down, the students are busy leading a drive to collect clothing, sports equipment and school supplies to send to their peers in Iraq.

They're also pursuing an idea with students they've met through the University of Minnesota's Veterans Transition Center for a Veterans Day event at St. Bernard's next fall, as part of the grassroots Warrior to Citizen Campaign.

Listen to team members Emily Erickson, Zach Dinzeo, Annette Dobihal, Becca Odahlen and Emily Quam talk about their work and what they're learning. Their Public Achievement coaches are Rana Yaghmaian, a student in the University of Minnesota's leadership minor program, and Candy Pagel, a school staff person (pictured above with the students).

"In talking with my son and other soldiers who are back from the war zone, I have heard what I consider to be a good guide to consider when greeting our returning soldiers," wrote Sharbonno in an op-ed piece in the May 15 St. Cloud Times. Read Veterans are glad to hear ‘thanks.’

At both sites, the AmeriCorps member will work with youth on a variety of leadership activities. At YFMP, leadership is fostered through nurturing relationships between urban youth and their families, their communities and the earth around them by growing, cooking, eating, and selling healthy food. At JAS, leadership is fostered by strengthening learning among people of diverse ages and backgrounds who are working towards particular goals.

Some of the essential functions at Jane Addams School include: helping the functioning of the East African Circle or Spanish Circle by coordinating learning pairs and developing materials; becoming knowledgeable about the process to naturalize as a U.S. citizen, English language learning, and community/civic issues; and, if possible, performing Somali-English or Spanish-English translation.

Some of the essential functions at Youth Farm include: performing after-school farm and greenhouse activities; providing tutoring during the school year; and serving as youth market coordinator.

Download the complete position description ( Spanish Circle or East African Circle), including requirements, preferred qualifications and contact information.