Community leaders who are trusted by their communities have the opportunity to convene collaborative initiatives to identify and address divisions in their respective communities, including those connected to race and equity. Below, DCP provides guides for community leaders considering or immersed in collaborative initiatives. In addition, DCP provides of-the-shelf resources for community leaders in the face of crisis.
For DCP's newest first edition report - co-published with DOJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Community Relations Service - titled Tools for Building Trust: Designing Law Enforcement-Community Dialogue and Reacting to the Use of Deadly Force and other Critical Law Enforcement Actions, click https://go.osu.edu/dcpbuildtrust.
Busy community leaders might also consider reviewing the following resources (linked here and listed below):
- Developed in Spring 2022 - Promising Ideas for Local Leaders in Anticipation of the Supreme Court's Abortion Ruling
- Developed in Winter 2022 - Ideas for Local Leaders while Listening & Reaching the Public on Intensely Felt Issues while Protecting the Safety and Emotional Well-Being of Staff and Their Families.
- This checklist for speaking out to the general public during tense and divisive times. In addition, DCP offers checklists for
- One of seven case studies which highlight how DCP's principles have been applied in various communities across the country. Consider ideas from Bloomington (IN), Orlando (FL), San Leandro (CA), or Rochester (NY)
- DCP's simulations for community leaders
Collaborative Planning Processes
The following guides are designed for community and campus leaders who might work proactively to identify and address issues which might tear at the community’s social fabric.
Preparation ahead of conflict matters. Communities that invest in building resilience are better equipped to navigate conflict.
This guide offers practical strategies to help local leaders strengthen community resilience and prepare for moments when conflict may escalate into crisis. It affirms the value of leaders modeling a constructive tone that does not dismiss differing viewpoints but welcomes them and fosters an atmosphere where their expression can occur safely and respectfully.
Each chapter of this guide outlines potential strategies and includes real world illustrations, tools leaders can use constructively during times of crisis and calm.
For community leaders, social media presents valuable opportunities to engage community members, understand issues that underrepresented groups are concerned about, and encourage cross-community dialogue. At the same time, some users of social media may spread harmful forms of misinformation, engage in hate speech or online bullying, or use social media in various ways to take advantage of community unrest.
This guide discusses social media strategies for community leaders dealing with community division.
Ideas for Collaborative Race Equity Initiatives
The following guides are designed to provide ideas and steps for community leaders as they design processes to enhance racial equity and address division connected to public spaces.
A confluence of events, including a pandemic, protests, and business and school closings disrupted our country in 2020 and, despite deep political differences, there is broadened support for structural changes to advance racial equity. A multi-pronged, sequenced approach has a mutually reinforcing effect. Whether it is called a truth commission or something else – that process facilitates collaborative problem-solving over a period of years to achieve an equitable society that will afford each person the opportunity to thrive.
- NEW Second Edition
- The First Edition is available here.
A planning process can be most effective before conflicts over symbols divide people into opposing camps. By working proactively, leaders and others within a campus, city, region, or state – what we call here for simplicity a “community” – will also respond more constructively and collaboratively when conflicts over symbols or other divisive incidents occur. They will be able to draw on enhanced relationships and detailed plans created beforehand for responding quickly in a volatile situation.
Leading in the Face of a Community Crisis
The following resources are “off-the-shelf guides” for community and campus leaders facing imminent or ongoing unrest.
Preparation ahead of conflict matters. Communities that invest in building resilience are better equipped to navigate conflict. Residents tend to treat each other with greater respect. In today’s environment, conflicts can escalate in minutes, not days. Community members urgently seeking information often trust the first source they encounter, making timely and credible communication essential. Leaders who have prepared contingent responses to crises are better equipped to help avert tragedy and support understanding across differences.
This guide offers practical strategies to help local leaders strengthen community resilience and prepare for moments when conflict may escalate into crisis. It affirms the value of leaders modeling a constructive tone that does not dismiss differing viewpoints but welcomes them and fosters an atmosphere where their expression can occur safely and respectfully. Similarly, the guide’s suggested planning practices support leaders listening broadly and efficiently to the expression of community concerns – not dilute those voices – and then respond concretely and visibly; this approach often reduces the likelihood that residents will escalate their actions in ways that could harm the community, endanger lives, or leave lasting bitterness.
Each chapter of this guide outlines potential strategies and includes real world illustrations, tools leaders can use constructively during times of crisis and calm. A comprehensive checklist at the end provides a quick reference to key ideas. An appendix lists additional resources.
Case Studies
This case study describes the work of Bloomington community leaders as they work with DCP through a community crisis and as they develop a task force on community policing.
This case study describes the work of Winston-Salem community leaders as they work with DCP and the Community Relations Service.
Study 1 illustrates the work of the Rochester Community Response Team, an effort launched through the work of a local dispute resolution center and a local newspaper, which began developing plans for a collective community response to civil unrest.
Study 2 describes Orlando Speaks, a new approach to police-community dialogue developed through a partnership between the City of Orlando, the Orlando Police Department, and Valencia College Peace and Justice Institute.
Study 3 discusses the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center’s Strengthening Communities Project, convened by a non-profit dispute resolution center in San Mateo County, California.
Study 4 highlights the work of the volunteer Columbus Community Trust, convened with support from the Columbus Bar Association and the John Mercer Langston Bar Association, with support from the local U.S. Attorney’s office.
Study 5 describes Unity in the Community-San Leandro, a group of San Leandro (California) volunteers who convened in response to a series of local hate incidents.
Cards
Designed as an easy reference point for community leaders:
Simulations
Designed to simulation division in a metropolitan area and tested at the Moritz College of Law, this simulation has been used online and in-person with students at multiple institutions, with Ohio law enforcement leaders, and with community leaders in Canton (OH), Grande Rapids (MI), Winston-Salem (NC), as well as leaders from five state attorney generals offices. Take a look at the general facts for the full multi-hour simulation or a video of dispute resolution practitioners engaging in the mini-Amory simulation.
Used with hundreds of civic leaders and students across the country, the simulation focuses leaders on strategies for broad-based community planning efforts, while giving students the chance to enhance leadership skills during a crisis. Here are the simulation’s Midland General Facts.
The following documents are available upon request (they contain confidential information) to DCP Deputy Director Bill Froehlich (froehlich.28@osu.edu):
- Facilitator Instructions for working with community leaders
- Facilitator Instructions for working with students
- The complete simulation, including all confidential roles, “injects” and a corresponding PowerPoint
In this video, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther describes his experience with the simulation.
Modeled after Midland, New Lake has been used with a law student at the Moritz College of Law. Here are the simulation’s general facts.
The following documents are available upon request (they contain confidential information) to DCP Deputy Director Bill Froehlich (froehlich.28@osu.edu):
- Facilitator Instructions
- The complete simulation, including all confidential roles, and a PowerPoint to use with the simulation
Academy Facilitation Guide
A guide for hosting a three-day training “Academy” for community leaders. This guide includes links to documents, surveys and materials used at DCP’s Academy Initiative events.
Video Series
The following video clips were developed to pair with concepts identified in DCP’s Key Considerations and Planning in Advance of Community Unrest. Thanks to Thomas Battles, Susan Carpenter, Michael Lewis, Becky Monroe, Linda Seely, and Andrew Thomas for their work on this project and research assistants Salvia Jannat, Jason Ketchum, Julia Sivertson, and Kassie Stewart.