Change can’t come from outside. It can only happen from within.
"People want to know what they can do to create the change they want to see in their community and they want to do it themselves. They need expertise, training, technology and tools that will empower them. Democracy Centers partner with well-established community-based organizations to educate and promote opportunities to take action in support of issues important to the community, such as voting rights, energy democracy and resiliency, jobs and community wealth and power building.
Democracy Centers leverage the on-the-ground expertise, presence and trusted relationships of community-based organizations with a successful track record of civil rights protection and advocacy, civic engagement, community building and development, election protection, voter registration, and other activities that support the basic tenets of our democracy in underserved communities." - Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground.
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The need for local canvassers
Democracy Centers are located in disadvantaged (BIPOC) communities where more than 55% of eligible voters no longer choose to vote. A Democracy Center is a local resource that supports ongoing, year-round, civic engagement to achieve meaningful progress on issues of importance in underserved communities of color where the ill effects of historic systemic racism are deeply entrenched and oppressive.
These communities are often rural and have high levels of race-based concentrated poverty, lower social mobility, higher rates of environmental pollution and restrictive voter suppression laws. The phrase, “My vote doesn’t matter” reflects frustration with the lack of improvement in community pain points regardless of who is elected.
Center for Common Ground provides needed infrastructure, training and digital tools to empower communities during times of accelerated change and challenge. Citizens need a place to gather, learn about national, state and local policy/politics so they can make educated decisions about their leaders and how to make change on every level.
Democracy Center engagement
Center for Common Ground works with local community leaders to establish a Democracy Center to:
- Organize meetings and identify community issues
- Promote understanding with non-polarizing language
- Empower the community with technology, tools and related training
- Assess the progress with tools and training
- Refine plans and widen participation
Support Democracy Centers
Democracy Centers provides permanent, peer-to-peer, community-based voter services, education, dialogue and opportunity for participation within the political process at the local, state and federal levels. Center for Common Ground provides needed infrastructure, training and digital tools to empower communities during times of accelerated change and challenge.
Democracy Centers currently exist in in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Your donation helps fund new centers, supplies, printing and food for volunteers.