Organized and politically active citizens are instrumental in driving democratic and socio-economic development. In new and emerging democracies, the National Democratic Institute has helped citizens play these roles through a guided, iterative process called Civic Forum.  The process combines educational discussions, experiential learning and citizen-led collective actions to address local-level community needs. Results have included increased citizenship competencies, space for participation and accountability relationships with public officials. This article describes the Civic Forum approach and provides country examples from NDI programs in Jordan and Moldova.