By the People.
For the People.

A group of Akron residents will be coming together for the city’s first-ever Civic Assembly to tackle urgent local challenges. Be part of the conversation from the very start, and help shape solutions our city can act on.

7 people in Akron talking

This isn’t just a few minutes at a microphone. This is neighbors solving problems.

Civic Assemblies have worked to change policy, decrease social isolation, and increase trust across the world. Can it work in Akron?

Participants at a two-day training on Civic Assemblies in Akron, OH in partnership with the Federation for Innovation in Democracy

What’s a Civic Assembly?

Think of it as a way of tackling big problems by bringing together the People, Process, and Power to make change happen.

People

Civic Assemblies aren’t town halls full of the usual voices. Instead, Akron residents are chosen by lottery so the Assembly reflects our whole city: different ages, races, incomes, and life experiences.

And to make sure everyone can take part, participants get support like stipends, childcare, meals, transportation, and translation.

Process

Participants dive in and hear all sides of the issue, learning from experts and working together to understand the problem they’re trying to solve.

Across multiple weeks, with trained facilitators guiding the way, members of the Assembly will listen, talk it out, and wrestle with the pros and cons of different solutions.

Power

Here’s the key: Civic Assemblies aren’t just talk. From the start, local leaders commit to reviewing the Assembly’s recommendations. 

After weeks of deliberating, residents put forward real solutions, share them with the public, and hold leaders accountable for updates and follow-through. 

  • "We have to rebuild our public sphere, but it can't look like what it looked like before. It has to be deliberative."

    — Dr. J. Cherie Strachan

  • "If we can't figure out how to build healthy people that have healthy conversations to solve our city's problems, then what are we doing?"

    — Zac Kohl

  • "We have to get people to the table who have never been asked, whose voices are never heard except within their circles."

    — Rev. Robert DeJournett

  • "I have sat on millions of committees and we have all these vibrant conversations, and then it just disappears. Dialogue is great, but action is even better."

    — Dreama Whitfield

  • "Civic Assemblies are a way to make sure that we hear voices that we don't normally hear. It's a microphone."

    — Lucas Blower

  • "Opportunities like this bring people together from various perspectives and backgrounds and give them an opportunity to be a part of the solution."

    — Carla L. Chapman

  • "With Civic Assemblies, people feel empowered, they feel excited, they want to put in the time and the work. I don't see anything else that has that potential."

    — Dr. Stan Rittgers

  • "How do we rally around the things that we have in common? We have the secret sauce. We just have to work together."

    — Dominique Waters

Find your place at the table

Imagine an Akron where everyone has a chance to collaborate on solving our toughest issues. That’s the vision of Unify Akron. Join this cross-partisan team of residents and leaders from across the city.