…(it) is full of surprises, speaking to and inviting a depth. Ruth winds a path as a deeply thoughtful guide, sending her reader off into many intriguing and verdant tributaries that are proof of an ever-emergent democracy, alive in the minds and hearts of past and present-day Americans.”
— Corrina McFarlane
What if, instead of fighting over politics, diverse groups of citizens could create an inspiring vision of the kind of system we want – and then come together and create it.
How is that even possible?
About Ruth
Ruth was arrested at age 13.
Disturbed by the racial divide on the Southside of Chicago, Ruth asked her mom why some people in her community lived in such dismal conditions. When she didn’t get answers Ruth decided to do something about it, which led to her being arrested in a civil rights march in her early teens. Since then, Ruth has been interested in trying to figure out why so little changed over the years and how to fix that.
Her talks at local community centers inspired others to ask how they could help build a new democracy.
About the book
Why Ruth Backstrom wrote Igniting A Bold New Democracy
As a concerned citizen in the United States, are you tired of our broken politics and concerned with the diminishing quality of life in America? You are:
- tuned in and aware that we need a dramatic shift for our democracy to survive and ready to instigate those changes but can’t imagine how to do it,
- yearning for the fights to end and longing for common sense to return to our national discourse so we could create a higher quality of life for everyone, and
- wish we had a modern responsive, inclusive 21st Century democracy capable of solving our biggest challenges.
You are not alone….and there is a solution. When her mother couldn’t answer questions about the racial divide in her integrated Chicago community, Ruth Backstrom was determined to do something about that. Her passion was so strong it led to her arrest at the age of thirteen, sending her on a lifetime quest to find answers and solutions for those nagging concerns from her youth.
In this book, she shares some historical success stories that illustrate how to fix what’s broken and highlights new ideas that are bringing the voice of the people back into the democratic process in other parts of the world. After experiencing potent facilitation methods, she learned that reconnecting will allow us to see that our diversity is not a liability but our greatest asset in problem solving.
Inside this book you will discover:
- an inspiring guide for creating a powerful pro-democracy movement based on the lessons from courageous leaders and the movements they spawned,
- powerful approaches that American citizens have used in the past to shift the national discourse and restore attention to generating a higher quality of life, and
- how empowered citizens using proven facilitation methods could draw on our collective wisdom to design a vision for the new modern democracy that we deserve and need.
This book shares some historical success stories that illustrate how to fix what’s broken. It also highlights new ideas that are bringing the voice of the people back into the democratic process.
“This powerful book shares ways to…
…communicate honestly and compassionately and work together to create a stronger, more productive United States of America. Backstrom invites each of us to get off our couch, light our torch, and join her dynamic journey to ignite a bold new democracy.
— Nancy Kirkendall
Real Estate Team Leader/ Associate REMAX Alliance
Real change begins with authentic communication.
Ruth Backstrom helps individuals and organizations move from contentious conversations to collective intelligence.
Speaker & Author
Inspiring words that bring people together and imagine the democracy they want to design together.
Civic Educational Event Designer
Interactive civic events to encourage more participation in designing and creating the future we want.
FAcilitator & Change Catalyst
Ruth brings out the power of groups with tools that unlock their collective intelligence to solve difficult problems together.
Articles
Authentic conversations for a fast moving society
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Continue Reading How Can We Unleash our Civic Power to Change our Country?