Dialogue Dilemmas Weekly Round Up July 13, 2024(An Experiment)

Dialogue Dilemmas Weekly Round Up July 13, 2024

(An Experiment)

Favorite Recent Events:

“Families & Politics” workshop by Braver Angels

I found this event through the Citizen Connect calendar. At first I thought it might be too lecture-y, but it was quite interactive and skills-based. The model they teach feels compatible with many Nonviolent Communication principles, while possibly being more simple and accessible. They don’t currently have another one of these on their schedule, but you can find other events by Braver Angels at https://braverangels.org/events/list/.

“Across the Aisle” & “Reconciliation and Healing” with John Kinyon

John alternates each Friday (sort of), with one Friday focused on dialoguing across the aisle of political differences, and the next focused on supporting people with conflicts in their personal lives. These events are by donation and are one of the most nourishing things in my life right now. To join, sign up at https://johnkinyon.com/across-the-aisle/.

1-on-1 Conversation through Braver Angels

For this activity, Braver Angels matches you with someone willing to engage across some key difference, such as Red/Blue, rural/urban, or generational divides. I chose race/ethnicity when I signed up, and was quickly paired with somebody from a different racial/ethnic background than me. I found our conversation friendly and grounding. To sign up or learn more, go to https://braverangels.org/online/1-1-conversations/.

Not for Me:

Democracy Happy Hour

I found this (also Zoom-based) event through Citizen Connect as well, and it was not what I expected. I like participatory, interactive, dialogue-based events. This event involved mostly one person presenting the entire time about legislative news related to voting, as well as Supreme Court decisions. There was a lot of frustration and partisan judgment being expressed in the chat, which I understand comes from a place of painful feelings and unmet needs, but does not feel nourishing or productive to me in the way the Braver Angels and John Kinyon’s events do. I did connect with one person in the chat about a possible book club, and it was informative, but I will probably not attend again unless there is a specific topic I am interested in (like next week’s focus on John Lewis). I would recommend this event for someone who wants a focused news update about voting legislation and other political updates. Check out this offering at https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/.

What’s On Tap

Belonging Without Othering Book Club

I am SO inspired by this, and the language of this event and its sponsors (the Othering & Belonging Institute) resonates so much with what I’ve been looking for in social change work, that i postponed a medical appointment I’ve been trying to get for A YEAR so I can attend the first live online meeting. So far I’ve read the first chapter and still feel like these people are on the right track with a broader, more comprehensive, and more coherent framework than many I’ve seen. I was particularly heartened by the audacity of calling for a move “beyond more limited paradigms, such as ‘equity,’” - the nerve! Sign up for the free book club at https://obiu.org/course/belonging-bookclub.

For Further Research:

Building Civic Bridges Act

I found multiple events on Citizen Connect and elsewhere mentioning this piece of legislation. I haven’t had time to look into it much yet, but it sounds promising. Resolutionaries has more information: https://resolutionaries.org/advocacy-bcba/#/2/.

Conflict of the Week:

Coming soon! A blog post about feeling unwelcome at a community song circle. Check back at dialoguedilemmas.com for my reflection on this experience.

Dialogue Dilemmas Weekly Round Up July 13, 2024(An Experiment)