How To Series – EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY: Turning Picnics and Potlucks into Civic Power

Aug 13

Kristine Michie - Playfull Podcast Interview - Merle McGee and Chandanie Orgias

How To Series – EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY: Turning Picnics and Potlucks into Civic Power

In this episode of The PlayFull Podcast, Kristine Michie is joined by Merle McGee and Chandanie Orgias to explore how joyful, everyday gatherings can rebuild trust, spark civic imagination, and turn neighbors into co-creators of a more caring democracy. Together, they discuss viewing democracy not as an abstract institution, but as a practice rooted in relationships, community care, and local connection. From hosting block parties to utilizing Everyday Democracy’s 250-year civic imagination toolkit, this conversation offers an inspiring roadmap for taking relational risks, embracing differences, and building a future worth living in.

Key Takeaways:

Democracy is sustained not just by institutions or elections, but by everyday relationships rooted in trust, care, and community connection.
Simple gatherings—dinners, picnics, block parties—can become powerful spaces to practice democracy by aligning on values, sharing stories, and imagining a shared future.
Courage in this moment often looks like taking relational risks close to home: inviting neighbors together, asking deeper questions, and stepping beyond ideological comfort zones.
Civic imagination—envisioning in detail what a thriving future could feel like—is a practical tool for moving from fear and stuckness into hope, creativity, and collective action.
Local, joyful action is the pathway to national impact: when people solve problems together where they live, they become more civically engaged and more invested in democratic institutions.

"Democracies fundamentally run on relationships and relationships run on trust… You can't build trust without being in community and connection with other people." — Merle McGee

"Everyone is qualified anywhere where community happens, and the goal there is that it's not just the conversation, but an opportunity to experience what democracy can feel like." — Chandanie Orgias

Episode References:

Our Next 250 Community Gathering Toolkit: https://everyday-democracy.org/ournext250/
Trust for Civic Life: https://trustforciviclife.org/
Destination Imagination: https://www.destinationimagination.org/

More About Merle McGee & Chandanie Orgias:

Merle McGee is President & CEO of Everyday Democracy, with 25+ years fighting for justice across racial, gender, and economic lines.

Chandanie Orgias is the National Director of Narrative and Culture at Everyday Democracy, with over a decade of experience across youth development, participatory change processes, and artivism where arts meets activism.

Connect with Everyday Democracy:

Website: https://everyday-democracy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydaydemocracy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evdemusa/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/everydaydemocracy

Connect with Kristine:

The PlayFull Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-playfull-podcast-with-kristine-michie-bringing-fun/id1676838213?action=write-review

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/

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