Bending the Arc

Our country is more divided than ever, with too many of us isolated from those who hold different views. This division damages our communities, disrupts our families, and stops us from working together for the common good. Braver Angels works hard to change that. Braver Angels is leading the nation's largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. They believe our nation can survive and thrive for every American who contributes to the effort. 

Of the numerous programs Braver Angels offers us, one of my favorites is the 1:1 conversation experience. My first 1:1 conversation was a “Red/Blue,” meaning, I was paired with someone with different political views than I. His name is Paul and he lives in Connecticut. Braver Angels provided us a well-outlined guide for the two of us to engage in self-directed, non-facilitated conversation. Our conversations were one hour each and we met via Zoom. We became friends so easily that we have continued to meet beyond the two initial conversations encouraged. We look forward to our conversations. We take turns developing ideas for questions and then agree on three of them ahead of our meeting. We both appreciate how refreshing it is to talk civilly about views we see differently on without feeling like we are going to be attacked. As you might imagine, we even find quite a bit that we agree on!

Braver Angels offers several 1:1 conversation types including:

• Conversations Across Generations - connecting one person 18-30 with one person 61+
• Immigration - connecting two people with differing views on immigration
• Race, Ethnicity and Culture - connecting two people from different racial, ethnic or cultural groups
• The Golden Rule - connecting people from different states for a discussion on The Golden Rule
• … and more!

Another experience that I have appreciated quite a bit are the national debates. These are offered online and in person. I found that by attending the online debates, I was able to sit and simply listen to what each side was saying. After a few, I got brave enough to insert a question to someone with a different view than me.

I highly encourage EVERYONE to browse the website to learn more and find an experience that feels right for you.

Braver Angels also has local alliances with two here in Wisconsin, one in Milwaukee and one in Green Bay.

Give yourself a gift this holiday season. Give Braver Angels a try! You can become a member for only $12/year.