We are all responsible for the places we call home
Our collective futures are inescapably bound together
we are creators of a vital, resilient, and participatory civilization
/ Root Down & Rise Up
We believe that a participatory, resilient, and thriving civilization is within our reach.
Our civilization is in crisis, characterized by environmental degradation, social fragmentation, political corruption, and economic inequality. Many are realizing that these crises are deeply interconnected and systemic. If we accept that our current crises are the result of the systems we rely on, it becomes our civic responsibility to imagine and design better ones.
The word civics originates from acts of care and solidarity, reflecting a sense of mutuality and shared belonging. We aim to foster a civic renaissance — a culture of open civics — that revives these civic virtues through open civic innovation, empowering communities to participate in the collective practice of building better systems.
As civic innovators, we explore ways to improve the foundational systems that serve the well-being of our communities. We design and experiment with new civilizational systems that foster mutual care, responsibility, and collective well-being.
We believe a renewal of civic culture will lead to the creation of open civic systems rooted in consent, cooperation, and collective action. Collectively designing a modular, interoperable, composable, and inclusive protocol-based open innovation approach will enable communities to respond more effectively in times of crisis, share knowledge, and rebuild civilization from the ground up.
Towards
an Open Civics
The Open Civic Innovation Framework is a philosophy and practice for open civic innovation that empowers the public to assemble systems.
A pluralistic and polycentric methodology rooted in participatory design and engagement that empowers civic innovators to coordinate collective action towards meeting global and localized needs.
The OpenCivics Network exists to support civic innovators, organizers and patrons in the practice of open civic innovation.
A community of practice and solidarity network working to renew civic culture and adapt civic systems to create the conditions for a vital, resilient, and participatory civilization to emerge.
/ theory of change
/ Ways to get involved
Become a member
Join an aligned network of open civic innovators, organizers, and patrons.
Make a Donation
Discover and resource an ecosystem of open civic innovation activities.
Learn & Grow
Explore public resources and get inspired by models for local collective action.
/ Explore the ecosystem
The network supports alignment, coordination, collaboration, resourcing and learning between civic innovators, organizers, patrons, and the public.
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Align : Maps
Mapping is a practice of structuring representations of systems, relationships, and processes to foster alignment and empower collective action.
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Coordinate : Alliances
Alliances are aligned peers/projects, coordinating their efforts for increased impact and efficacy in their complementary independent pursuits.
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Collaborate : Initiatives
Initiatives are collaborative working groups of aligned peers/projects, producing mutually beneficial outputs that require synergistic coordination.
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Resource : Grants
Grants are resourcing for civic innovation projects, connecting civic patrons with innovators through democratic and trust-based philanthropy.
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Convene : Gatherings
Gatherings are online and in-person convenings that bring civic innovators, organizers and patrons into closer relationship around shared purpose.
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Learn : Courses
Courses are learning experiences that empower civic organizers and innovators with knowledge, frameworks, and peer learning that support collective action.
/ Explore Network orgs
The OpenCivics Network is composed of organizing structures that connect and support members.
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OpenCivics Network
A community of practice and decentralized solidarity network of civic innovators, organizers, and patrons.
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OpenCivics Consortium
A coordination body of network citizens self-organizing around the creation of open civic systems.
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OpenCivics Foundation
A non-profit supporting the development of the network and the open civic innovation movement.
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OpenCivics Labs
An applied research and development cooperative offering networks facilitation and design.