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About NICD

National Institute for Civil Discourse

Building the nation’s capacity to engage our differences more constructively

In 2011, the University of Arizona created NICD after the Tucson shooting that killed six people and wounded thirteen others, including former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Although many people know about this incident now, fewer people know that Congresswoman Giffords was already in discussion with the University of Arizona about creating a center to study how to improve the quality of civil conversation.

The Tucson community came together to create NICD, a non-partisan organization based at the University of Arizona to promote healthy and civil political debate. NICD is devoted to the same principles that motivated Congresswoman Giffords: that people with different values and political preferences can discuss their differences in a civil and productive manner. The galvanizing power of that event brought together an impressive, bipartisan group of leaders to work on these issues.

No one knew in 2011 just how bitter and polarized our politics would become. By seriously engaging the problem early, NICD became the leading national voice for bridging through civil discourse and respect.

At NICD, we believe the American people will be our saving grace. We are less divided than we seem and hungrier for a more constructive approach to politics. NICD has developed a multi-faceted strategy to channel Americans’ yearning into a coherent and powerful force. Our bold vision, compelling strategy, and high-profile board members combine to set NICD apart as a leader in this movement. In addition to inspiring and organizing everyday Americans, our strategy is designed to encourage elected leaders to put country ahead of partisanship.

About the Founding Executive Director: Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer

Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer was the first Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, an organization that works to build the nation’s capacity to engage our differences more constructively. As a leader in the field of deliberative democracy, she works to restore our democracy to reflect the intended vision of our founding fathers. Dr. Lukensmeyer was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship which produced the landmark 2020 bipartisan report Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century. She previously served as Founder and President of AmericaSpeaks, an award-winning nonprofit organization that promoted nonpartisan initiatives to engage citizens and leaders through the development of innovative public policy tools and strategies. During her tenure, AmericaSpeaks engaged more than 200,000 people and hosted events across all 50 states and throughout the world. Dr. Lukensmeyer formerly served as Consultant to the White House Chief of Staff from 1993-94 and on the National Performance Review where she steered internal management and oversaw government-wide reforms. She was the Chief of Staff to Ohio Governor Richard F. Celeste from 1986-91, becoming the first woman to serve in this capacity. She earned her PhD in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University and has completed postgraduate training at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.

Key Principles and Best Practices for Engaging Differences

Engaging in conversations across the divide opens doors to finding common ground and moves our country toward a more perfect union.  Our programs convey several key principles and best practices that are critical to connecting across divides, including:  Empathy instead of vitriol; Listening for Understanding instead of hearing to overpower; and Humility instead of all-knowing.

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