By Hildy Gottlieb

As the political climate in the U.S. has become more divisive, the issue of civil discourse has become a common concern among people working to improve their communities.

The issue is being discussed at kitchen tables and at the new National Institute for Civil Discourse in Tucson. Pundits and citizens across the political landscape are pondering what it will take to create civility, respect, and understanding in an age that often seems anything but civil or respectful.

In this edition of Making Change, Hildy Gottlieb, the host, speaks with Carol Rasco—an advocate for children’s issues, disability issues, and literacy issues—about creating conversations that are not only civil but also meaningful and forward-moving.

Ms. Rasco describes factors that can create common ground in seemingly divisive environments. Her stories stem from her diverse career path: She served as a domestic-policy adviser to President Bill Clinton, and she is now chief executive of Reading Is Fundamental as well as a mother and advocate for a disabled child.

Hildy Gottlieb is the co-founder of Creating the Future and author of The Pollyanna Principles: Reinventing "Nonprofit Organizations" to Create the Future of Our World. In this podcast, Making Change, she interviews leaders to discuss how those who are working for the greater good can effect more social change. New episodes of Making Change appear on the second Thursday of every month.