May is National Civility Month! I know it’s the end of the month but it’s never too late to be polite.  Besides, isn’t civility the glue that holds society together or, at the least, helps it operate more effectively?  This calendar from the Civility Experts Worldwide provides a 31 day civility challenge to help you live each month as if it were National Civility Month  On the Knowledge Network are some resources with observations and tips about promoting civility:

1. This conference presentation from ICMA’s 99th Annual Conference (2013) covers the panel discussion on promoting civility in city hall.
2. Back in 2013 the In the Know blog offered 7 resources on public dialogue and civility.
3. These two resources from the Institute for Local Government cover how to promote civility during stressful public meetings. The first part presents background and strategies for promoting a culture of civility. The second part offers tips and strategies for local government to utilize to encourage civility at a practice level.
4. This article documents a local mayor’s journey and mission to promote civility in his community.
5. Local governments also need to consider promoting civility online.  This conference presentation from ICMA’s 100th Annual Conference (2014) covers the concept of e-hostility and offers best practices for preventing incivility online.

We’d like to hear how you promote civil discourse in your community. Share your stories below.

Douglas Shontz

Knowledge Network Intern