Understanding the Language of Democracy
Upcoming Upswell Session Highlighting PACE’s Language Project
This blog post originally appeared here on Independent Sector’s Blog. You can learn more about this Upswell session, here. For a Q&A with Adiel, see below!
These days, words like activism, equity, justice, and democracy are commonplace in our field, describing both the values and substance of our work. But what do these words mean to everyday Americans?
Earlier this year, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) released the findings of its Civic Language Perceptions Project, a nationally representative survey and series of focus groups, aimed at better understanding how Americans think about civic engagement and democracy. And the data was clear: the language practitioners use to describe these themes is very different from the way most Americans think about them.
If you’d like to learn more, don’t miss the Upswell workshop, “Understanding the Language of Democracy,” for enlightening and surprising insights you can use to inform the way you and your organization think and talk about civic language.
PACE’s Communications and Marketing Director Adiel Suarez-Murias, says their staff heard time and again from PACE members — funders who invest in civic engagement and democracy around the country — that “it’s more difficult than it should be to talk about this work.”
“This is the first effort to understand that disconnect, and there are a lot of interesting insights here, so I’m excited to share our findings,” says Adiel. She’s also hoping Upswell changemakers and the sector at-large will help PACE determine what should come next.
“We hope this is the beginning of an ongoing exploration. We want the sector to play a role in helping us think about the next step — what’s the next bite at the apple that will inform our work going forward, especially now in this political climate?
“So much of our work is about connecting with people. Especially now, given the fragile state of our democracy, finding ways to connect people with community, something bigger than themselves, is central to the work we do,” Adiel adds.
“I think understanding the language people use to describe their experience in civic life, and how they show up in the public sphere, is critical to making that connection.”
Understanding the Language of Democracy is happening Wednesday, November 13 from 3–4pm.
Adiel is also a member of the 2019 Independent Sector’s 2019 American Express NGen Fellows cohort, and will be co-presenting a workshop with the 2019 cohort, happening Thursday, November 14 from 10:45–11:30am.
Presenter Q&A with Adiel Suarez-Murias: Nurturing the Forces Pushing us in the Right Direction
This interview originally appeared here, on Independent Sector’s blog.
What kind of language do you use to talk about civic engagement? Perhaps you, like many working in this corner of changework, use terms like activism, justice, and democratic participation. Have you considered how words like those may resonate with some audiences but not others? Adiel Suarez-Murias, communications and marketing director at Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), will be helping you reflect on this aspect of your work at the Upswell workshop, “Understanding the Language of Democracy,” We caught up with her to learn a little about her and what motivates her work.
Q: If you could instantly become an expert on something, what would it be?
ASM: I really wish I could speed read, so I could just instantly absorb all of the books I want to read.
Q: What would you change if you could get a “do over” in your life?
ASM: Honestly, I don’t think I would change anything. It’s easy to say there are things I would do differently if I could do them over, but everything I’ve been through has brought me to where I am now, and I don’t regret any of that.
Q What’s a skill you have that you wish you could use more often?
ASM: Spanish was my first language. I wish I had more opportunities to speak it.
Q: When was the last time you were stuck in a rut, and what did you do to get out of it?
ASM: Everyone gets into a rut sometimes. When I do, I try to remind myself why I do the work I do. I think of all of the privilege and access I have, and all of the blessings in my life — and then I think about all of the people in the world who don’t have those things. And I remember that my purpose is to be of service, to do everything in my power to build a more just and inclusive world, one where everyone can thrive and be their whole self. Often, getting out of a rut is about getting back in alignment with your vision and values — and that’s mine.
Q: Is humanity headed in the wrong or right direction?
ASM: That’s a hard question. I think there are powerful forces that are moving us in the wrong direction. Greed, power, disconnection. But there are also forces that are pushing us in the right direction. I believe they’re growing stronger, but it’s up to us in this work to nurture those forces — love, justice, liberation — that are moving us toward connection with ourselves, each other, and the planet.
