Thank you so much! This gives us hope for a better world and good governance. Nanaimo is grateful!

Inspiring and reassuring that WE WILL persevere as a society and shift the tides. We will push forward and change policy to reestablish trust in local governments! I spent months looking forward to this and am privileged to have been able to learn from each speaker and I thank Diane Kalen-Sukra for your innovative approach to reminding us why we need to return to the origins of what being a neighbor is!

There were so many great takeaways, including that building community trust and connection should be a top advocacy priority for all councils. We learnt that when local governments prioritise compassion, equity, active listening, and cultural safety, they create safer spaces and build stronger connections. We heard that councils should play a larger role in educating our communities and improving political literacy. Compassion isn't just a nice-to-have in public policy; it’s essential. It can be brought to life through leadership that is fair and empathetic. Addressing systemic inequality is one way to put compassion into action and make sure everyone in the community is treated equitably. Listening is key. Councils must take the time to understand the needs of their residents before they defend their actions. We heard that councils must also honestly ask, "Do we truly know our community? Are we thinking at the people level?" Councils are at their best when they are doing good for others. By designing inclusive processes and encouraging collaboration, councils can create a culture of trust and cooperation. This not only benefits the council but also helps to build stronger, more resilient communities. So many thought bubbles and actionable items. Thank you for providing this valuable program. Thank you so much for this!

Very rich and full of amazing stories and ideas! I truly believe programs like this and thought leaders such as Diane Kalen-Sukra will make a much needed positive impact. We can begin to swim the pendulum in the right direction!

Tremendous! Thoughtful conversations with civic leaders from across the globe on the importance of civility, compassion, servant leadership, and public trust.

This has been inspiring. After serving in local local government, I found it hard to encourage people to serve. With what is shared here, I am optimistic.

Courageous leaders sharing their big wins in creating kind, capable, responsible communities and teams. 100% relevant, timely, honest with actionable takeaways! Thank you Diane Kalen-Sukra for your skillful facilitation and Chris Eddy for your inviting moderation!

An incredibly eye-opening experience. I walked away feeling empowered and equipped to address challenging situations with confidence. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to build a more positive and respectful environment. Light shed on the root causes of toxic behaviours in professional and personal settings, also provided practical strategies to foster a culture of respect and civility. Highly interactive, with real-life scenarios, insightful discussions, and clear, actionable takeaways that I can immediately apply in my day-to-day interactions.

Powerful and inspiring! This was timely and meaningful for me. Amazing speakers and their message resonated on so many levels with respect to fostering civility, respectfulness, empowering those to be leaders to do so with authenticity and tolerance in leadership in local government.

A great compliment/refresher to the Compassionate Integrity session I attended at Kalen Academy in 2021. With so much hostility in today's world, compassion and integrity in our everyday life, we will lead by example and hopefully make our space and community a little safer and healthier for us all.

Thank you for the opportunity to take part. The speakers provide clarity and passion. A pleasure to hear a diverse range and see how geography may divide us but the same issues impacting democracy today present a common thread to our collective experience.

We have worked with Diane Kalen-Sukra before, so I fully expected and was pleased to participate this well-run program with high-quality speakers examining one of the most important topics of our time.

Invaluable and deeply wise tools and solutions for local governments and leaders everywhere. We all struggle with the same challenges in the public sphere it seems, and it's better when we don't feel alone in it. Thank you for plugging us in and convening us together in the collective effort to make civic engagement cool again! I am inspired!

Diane Kalen-Sukra delivers a strong roster of professionals offering tangible ideas to restore and take back the much-needed civility in local government to address challenges, toxic environments, and safety. By tapping into the vast experiences of those who have faced the fire and got through it, Diane's approach will help us all 'Save Your City'. I encourage you to read the book and draw from Diane's work and experience.

Great diversity of people and experiences. Terrific to see this momentum building for civic dialogue and better connection between citizens and local government. Thank you for this!

Exceptional program! Testimonies from the civic leaders brought hope to my organization. Too often civility is promoted and not followed. With what I learned from this program, it will help me be a better change maker.