Last week I was in Las Vegas where I discovered a community once on top of the world fighting to come back in the wake of the Great Recession. What people in Las Vegas are doing offers a vision of what it will take for communities across the country to rebound from this tough economic and social time. It’s not a mere roll of the dice that’s bringing Vegas back, but intentional actions to create real change and community.

Last night while driving home I heard a live broadcast of a gubernatorial candidates’ debate in Tennessee. One question was about whether the candidates would allow a mosque to be built in a neighborhood. As I listened to their responses, my stomach began to turn, and then I considered my own question: Is this the country we want?

Last week I told you that I had “banned” the phrase “civic engagement” from the Institute’s work and I got quite a reaction – some in support, others not. My point was simply that engagement needs to be more about people and impact, and less about endless discussions over inputs and process. For people in the country want to re-engage and get to work; at issue is our response.

Sometime ago I found myself standing in front of a thousand people giving a speech and saying that I had banned the phrase ‘civic engagement’ from The Harwood Institute’s work. The phrase has become a catch-all, a kind of Good Housekeeping seal that we’re doing honorable work in the name of community and the common good. But what I find is that the phrase gets in the way of our very goals.

Amazingly, all across the U.S. and in 24 countries and territories people have ordered The Organization-First Approach Report. After 20 years of innovation with communities in the U.S. we are excited by the strong interest and applicability of this report across the globe.

People’s anger over politics and more continues to envelope the country, and the question is: what should we do with it? One answer comes from U.S. Senator SamBrownback, who is running for governor of Kansas. He’s proposed an “Office of the Repealer,” a new state office to terminate stupid, idiotic, and silly laws and regulations. Why not, right? Well, there’s a better path for us to take.

The Washington Post released a troubling new poll this morning which captures the depth of people’s anger and disgust sweeping the country. Anti-incumbent sentiments have reached an all-time high. But no matter who wins the upcoming primaries in 12 states, the rest of us will have to deal with this antipathy as we try to get things done in our communities. Here’s how.

Welcome back from Memorial Day, which always offers us a day of rest from work and eases us into the summer months. But over the years I have found that for many of us there’s little real connection to Memorial Day itself – I know that’s true for me. The meaning of the day somehow gets lost amid cook-outs and busyness. So, today, I offer a simple prayer for Memorial Day to remind us of the day’s importance.

Across the country, public library systems are being gutted as states and localities slash their budgets. Libraries are an easy target – often seen as non-essential services. But our support of libraries is a test: do we believe communities are important? The truth is that public libraries don’t need to be protected from budget cuts; their budgets need to be expanded. Here’s why.