Dialogue-to-Action: Community and City Relations

​Timeline: March, 2015 - January, 2016
​One of the action steps for change that came out of District 1's 2014 cross-cultural dialogue project was expanding the dialogues and have them be between community members and city departments ---- one specifically between youth and St. Paul Police.  The City of Saint Paul awarded money to the participating district councils  (1,2,3,5, and 8) from its Innovation Fund to carry this project forward in 2015.  Chia Lor was hired as the program coordinator. 

From March to August 2015,  the Community Action Team (consisting of community members, leaders, and City staff) planned how to make these dialogues happen.  It identified the Parks and Recreation Department as the second city department for community dialogues.  The third dialogue that was established was one between the Planning & Economic Development department and District Council staff, including their land-use committee members.  

Facilitators  (both youth and adult) for the dialogues were chosen from the group; they were trained with resources from Everyday Democracy, a national non-profit that specializes in the dialogue-to-change process.

​The project wrapped up with an action forum on January 23rd, 2016 where all the action ideas were presented to the public.  Attendees had an opportunity to participate in action ideas that they want to be a part of going forward.