Member Books, Blogs, Podcasts & More

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​UW NEXT is excited to launch a new webpage and newsletter section to share books, blogs, and podcasts authored by or featuring UW NEXT Members. If you have written a book, blog, have a podcast or been a guest on a podcast, send your name and the details to Carole Peters so we can link this to our new webpage. Staying connected and showcasing how our UW NEXT Members are making a difference is a wonderful way to bring our UW NEXT community together. *​

Dawn Helmrich's Book: The Blue Flower Curtain: The Story of a Woman's Determination to Become a Thriver- "It had been 20 days since it all happened. It felt like years had passed. I was sitting on my couch, alone in the living room when the phone rang. I jumped, startled by the sound... They got a break in the case..."

Follow the journey of one woman as she grapples with the many encounters of victim blaming that she faces. Dawn is a 21-year-old woman, newly married, on her way to a party when she is brutally attacked. What was 45 minutes of torture, turns into years of turmoil, fear and mental health issues, and also a lifetime of dedication, determination, and advocacy for other survivors of sexual assault.

This story is a tragic yet beautiful tale of the intimate journey through the ups and downs of navigating her own demons around who was responsible for her attack, overcoming the guilt and shame of something that was never her fault in the first place.

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Brooke Manville's Book: The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives with Josiah Ober. A powerful case for democracy and how it can adapt and survive—if we want it to

Is democracy in trouble, perhaps even dying? Pundits say so, and polls show that most Americans believe that their country’s system of governance is being “tested” or is “under attack.” But is the future of democracy necessarily so dire? In The Civic Bargain, Brook Manville and Josiah Ober push back against the prevailing pessimism about the fate of democracy around the world. Instead of an epitaph for democracy, they offer a guide for democratic renewal, calling on citizens to recommit to a “civic bargain” with one another to guarantee civic rights of freedom, equality, and dignity. That bargain also requires them to fulfill the duties of democratic citizenship: governing themselves with no “boss” except one another, embracing compromise, treating each other as civic friends, and investing in civic education for each rising generation.

Manville and Ober trace the long progression toward self-government through four key moments in democracy’s history: Classical Athens, Republican Rome, Great Britain’s constitutional monarchy, and America’s founding. Comparing what worked and what failed in each case, they draw out lessons for how modern democracies can survive and thrive. Manville and Ober show that democracy isn’t about getting everything we want; it’s about agreeing on a shared framework for pursuing our often conflicting aims. Crucially, citizens need to be able to compromise, and must not treat one another as political enemies. And we must accept imperfection; democracy is never finished but evolves and renews itself continually. As long as the civic bargain is maintained—through deliberation, bargaining, and compromise—democracy will live.

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And More...
Jason R. Daniels' Book: Get Off The Gerbil Wheel Of Life Today!
Joe Burris' podcast with Guest Angela Williams, UWW CEO: Hourglass: A United Way Podcast
Jeffrey Stec's Book: Humanizing Public Conversation: Building Trust and Cooperation with Your Constituents
Carole Peters, UW NEXT CEO, is a Guest on the Podcast: Secrets of the C-Suite
TD Smyers is a Guest on the Podcast: Deep Leadership
Betsy Block's Blog: Myth Busting: Conflict Belongs in Nonprofits
Juliet Clothier is a Guest on the Podcast: All The Way Alive
Neil Parekh's and Dawn Helmrich's Podcast: Shining Light On Shadows
Kerri Strauss is a Guest on the Podcast: Successful Nonprofits: Big Impact in Small Communities
Erin Hardesty's Book: No Little Choices
Lexi Savage is a Guest on the Podcast: Chatt With Us, hosted by United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley.
Dick & Mary Lu Aft's Book: Global Vision and Local Action: The History of United Way International​
Dick & Mary Lu Aft's Book: Grassroots Initiatives: Shape an International Movement
Brian Quail as a Guest on the Podcast: Your Path To Nonprofit Leadership With Dr. Patton McDowell
Brian Quail's Book: The Ultimate Guide for New Nonprofit CEOs
Diane Lebson's Book: For a Good Cause: A Practical Guide to Giving Joyfully
Michael Williamson in Louisiana PODCAST page
​Mary E. Tyler is Jay Meyer's Guest on the Podcast: Higher Leading
​Patrick Jinks' Podcast: The Leadership Window

*Submissions will be posted at the discretion of United Way NEXT. The listing of this content is solely for educational purposes. United Way NEXT does not endorse any listed books, blogs, podcasts, nor any other media. United Way NEXT does not endorse the owners nor creators of this media, nor their views. United Way NEXT does not endorse the external websites linked on this page.