Programs & Agenda
In honor of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of our nation, we will be convening on hallowed grounds in Philadelphia to look back, understand this historical moment, and renew our Founders’ pledge. It will also be an opportunity for us, on our 10th Anniversary, to begin our next chapter.
We will explore courageous citizenship and understand how we, as courageous citizens, can take action at the individual, local, and national levels. We will look at the progress made thus far by the Citizens Commission on Immigration, our national initiative that emerged from the votes of our delegates at our 2024 National Convention. And together, we will develop a new pledge, one that is rooted in our history and made by us, the people, for this moment.
The style will be participatory. Experts in attendance will be on tap, not on top. The convention will be co-chaired by one conservative and one liberal leader who will use adapted parliamentary procedure to ensure equal participation.
Step into Courageous Citizenship
At the 2026 Braver Angels National Convention, we’re inviting delegates to step into courageous citizenship.
What does that actually look like? And how does it show up in our politics? That’s what we’ll explore together over the course of the convention.
In 2024, nearly 800 delegates came together to vote on the issue Braver Angels would take on next. We considered healthcare, free speech, gun rights and regulation, the economy, and more. But delegates overwhelmingly voted for immigration.
Since then, we’ve launched the Citizens Commission on Immigration (CCI), bringing people from across the political spectrum together to find shared solutions and present them to their congressional representative. We’ve also expanded our work beyond the grassroots level, convening an Immigration Policy Roundtable with leading voices in the field, including our Convention Co-Chairs.
CCI is what courageous citizenship looks like in practice: people who disagree, working together to find common ground and move the country forward. Join us in 2026 to see that work up close and to take part in it yourself.
Meet Our Convention Co-Chairs
Diego Sánchez
Blue Co-Chair
Vice President of Policy and Strategy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, where he leads the organization’s policy team and legislative and administrative agenda. An immigration lawyer and policy strategist with over 15 years of experience, he works at the intersection of higher education, public policy, and government relations, helping college and university leaders navigate policy developments affecting students, campuses, and communities. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at Cornell University’s Center on Global Democracy.
Before joining the Presidents’ Alliance, Diego directed the federal immigration portfolio at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Across his career, he has led strategy, coalition engagement, and policy advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. His areas of expertise include higher education and immigration policy, tuition equity and college access for immigrant students and Dreamers, and engagement with policymakers, campus leaders, and partner organizations.
Diego serves on the Leadership Team of the Citizens Commission on Immigration, an initiative of Braver Angels dedicated to finding durable areas of common ground on immigration policy and advancing civil discourse across political differences. He holds a J.D. and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and philosophy from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. His commitment to expanding educational opportunity for immigrant students is deeply personal, shaped by his own journey as an undocumented college student and former DACA recipient.
Jim Robb
Red Co-Chair
Jim Robb is Vice President of Alliances at NumbersUSA, the largest-member immigration group in America. The group supports modernized, more sensible immigration, which it defines as no illegal immigration and lower immigration levels geared toward protecting America’s workers.
Jim helped found NumbersUSA 30 years ago, where he pioneered web-based political activism tools, which group members have used to send 50 million messages to Congress.
He is especially interested in Hispanic political development in the U.S., having authored Political Migrants: Hispanic Voters on the Move, the first book to trace the shift of Hispanic voters into the Republican Party.
A member of Braver Angels’ Citizens Commission on Immigration leadership team, Jim frequently speaks with fellow convention co-chair Diego Sànchez. They will appear together at the University of California–Irvine in early May, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this September.
A Pledge Renewed
In 1776, our Founding Fathers convened in Philadelphia to determine the future of the 13 colonies. Together, in the Pennsylvania State House, they drafted a Declaration that would sever ties with the British Empire and start a new nation, soon to be known as the United States of America. And in support of this Declaration, they made a pledge to each other:
“We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
These are the words—the promise—that have held our new nation together for the past 250 years. Between now and the convention, we’re going to start developing a new pledge, one that we will create together. A committee of delegates—staff and volunteers—will begin drafting a pledge using your direct input. At the convention, we’ll continue to revise this pledge in real-time as a living document, with the goal of ratifying and adopting this pledge together at the end of the convention.
Registered delegates will receive communications in the coming weeks about how they can start giving input into this new pledge.
Featured Speakers
Rep. Tom Suozzi
U.S. Representative for New York, District 3 and Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania, District 1 and Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus
Sarah Isgur
Senior Editor at The Dispatch & Host of Advisory Opinions
Devin Dwyer
Senior Washington Reporter, ABC News
Dr. Francis Collins
Former Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Dr. John Ioannidis
Professor and Co-Director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford University
Wilk Wilkinson
Director of Media Operations at Braver Angels and Host of Derate the Hate
Maury Giles
CEO, Braver Angels
Dr. Francis Collins
Former Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Dr. John Ioannidis
Professor and Co-Director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford University
Wilk Wilkinson
Director of Media Operations at Braver Angels and Host of Derate the Hate
Maury Giles
CEO, Braver Angels
John Wood Jr.
National Ambassador, Braver Angels
Cornel West
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, 2024 US Presidential Candidate
Mónica Guzmán
Host of A Braver Way and Author of I Never Thought of It That Way
Yuval Levin
Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute
John Wood Jr.
National Ambassador, Braver Angels
Cornel West
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, 2024 US Presidential Candidate
Mónica Guzmán
Host of A Braver Way and Author of I Never Thought of It That Way
Yuval Levin
Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute
Bill Doherty
Co-Founder, Braver Angels
Gabriella Kearns
Senior Fellow, Braver Angels
Jim Ferrell
Founder of Withiii Leadership and Author of You and We: A Relational Rethinking of Work, Life, and Leadership
Julia Minson
Professor, Author, and Founder of Disagreeing Better
Oren Cass
Founder and Chief Economist, American Compass
Mark Krikorian
Executive Director, Center for Immigration Studies
Jennie Murray
President and CEO, National Immigration Forum
Gaby Pacheco
President and CEO, TheDream.US
Amanda Ripley
Author, Journalist, and Co-founder of Good Conflict
John Gable
Co-Founder and CEO, AllSides
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Executive Editor, The Philadelphia Citizen
Angel Eduardo
Senior Writer/Editor, FIRE
Amanda Ripley
Author, Journalist, and Co-founder of Good Conflict
John Gable
Co-Founder and CEO, AllSides
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Executive Editor, The Philadelphia Citizen
Angel Eduardo
Senior Writer/Editor, FIRE
Larry Rosen
Creator and Host of The Enemies Project
Sadie Rosen
Head of Operations of The Enemies Project
Manu Meel
Co-Founder and CEO of BridgeUSA
Marianne Viray
Executive Director, Disagree Better
Mark Hugo Lopez
Director of Race and Ethnicity Research, Pew Research Center
Jonathan Rauch
Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, Brookings Institute
Michael Wear
Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life
Rabbi Michael Holzman
Founder, faith250
Mark Hugo Lopez
Director of Race and Ethnicity Research, Pew Research Center
Jonathan Rauch
Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, Brookings Institute
Michael Wear
Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life
Rabbi Michael Holzman
Founder, faith250
Jason Mangone
Executive Director, More in Common
Mary Tanner
Program Director, CommonSense American
Carla Brown
President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association
Tami Pyfer
Chief Impact Officer of UNITE and co-creator of the Dignity Index
Vince Stango
Interim President and CEO, National Constitution Center
R. Scott Stephenson
CEO, Museum of the American Revolution
Bob Steenstra
Historian and Licensed Battlefield Guide, Gettsyburg National Military Park
David M. Krueger
Executive Director, Dialogue Institute at Temple University
Featured Conversations
Science, Dignity and the Courage to Rebuild Trust
Trust in science didn’t plummet all at once. Rebuilding it won’t happen all at once either—but it starts with conversations like this one. With an introduction by Dr. Maciej Boni, Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. John Ioannidis join Wilk Wilkinson on the main stage for the kind of honest, human conversation that can put us back on the right track.
A Braver Way Live with Yuval Levin: Hope, Citizenship, and America at 250
One week before America’s 250th anniversary, Mónica Guzmán sits down live with Yuval Levin for a conversation about the Constitution, democratic culture, and what it takes to stay hopeful and engaged in dangerously divided times. Drawing from Levin’s work on institutions, civic life, and the promise of the American experiment, this live recording of A Braver Way explores how everyday citizens can help strengthen our republic—not by thinking alike, but by acting together.
Beyond the 6-3: Inside Today's Supreme Court
Six conservatives. Three liberals. End of story. Except Kavanaugh sided with Kagan more than with Gorsuch last term. Sarah Isgur, SCOTUSblog editor and author of Last Branch Standing, joins us to look beyond the partisan score and inside the institution still doing the work the Founders designed it for. Moderated by David Dwyer, Senior Washington reporter for ABC News.
Coliseum Debate: Immigration
Have you ever seen immigration experts disagree productively? The experts we work with at the Braver Angels Immigration Policy Roundtable are pros at it. Join us for this Coliseum Debate featuring four immigration experts modeling the Braver Angels Way as they share their perspectives on Resolved: We need immigrants to fill jobs in the US.
American Covenant: Reflections on Polarization, Virtue and the Constitution
Is the Constitution an antiquated source of division in America? Or is it a vehicle for the formation of civic virtue, whose wisdom holds the answer to our national divide? Yuval Levin, author of American Covenant, reacquaints us with the insight and relevance of the Constitution in conversation with Braver Angels National Ambassador, John Wood Jr.
Can Populism Help America Find Common Ground?
“Populism is polarizing,” is the standard charge against populism. But why do a significant number of voters say they’d either vote for Trump or Bernie Sanders? Is there a version of populism that could actually lead many Americans on left and right to find agreement and help America address some of its biggest challenges–and what is populism, anyway? In this session, credentialed professionals and working-class populists from right and left explore the prospects for populism.
What Happens When Immigration Foes Break Bread For a Year?
A discussion with national immigration leaders who have been working against each other for decades, but have been meeting for the last year as part of the Braver Angels Immigration Policy Roundtable, a group of a couple dozen national immigration leaders meeting regularly to better understand their differences and find agreement. In this session, we’ll hear from several of these leaders, including ardent conservatives and strong liberals who have been on the frontlines of America’s immigration battles.
A Press Worthy of the Pledge: Journalism for a Renewed Republic
Outrage scales. Building doesn’t, yet. Amanda Ripley, John Gable, and Roxanne Patel Shepelavy have each built working models of journalism that reward citizenship over conflict, from the national craft to the city block. Come imagine what the American press looks like when courageous citizenship is the honored norm, and how we get there from here.
Jazz, the Blues, and the Omni-American Dream
If America were like a song she might be like the blues: full of tragedy and pain, but rich with poetry and triumph. If democracy were music than democracy would be jazz, full of improvisation between people from all walks of life. Featuring Cornel West, John Wood Jr. and a panel of musicians and scholars playing real time musical sounds, this session explores the blues/jazz tradition of American cultural and Democratic interpretation, reimagining the American identity through the musical metaphor of the blues.
Building Trust: Bridging Partisan and Cultural Divides in Public Health
Cross-partisan public health recognizes the importance of seriously engaging with all groups within a community, not to impose its will but to genuinely listen and look for common ground in policy-building. This breakout will be a panel discussion among public health experts and community members with a range of views and lived experiences affecting—and affected by—public health policy.
What Faith Owes Democracy, and What Democracy Owes Faith
The founders didn’t just sign a Declaration. They made a pledge: staking their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor on a shared commitment to something larger than themselves. Two hundred fifty years later, faith communities across America are wrestling with what that pledge means for them. Is religion a resource for democracy, or a threat to it? What does courageous citizenship look like from inside a congregation, a church, or a synagogue? Brookings scholar Jonathan Rauch, Christian civic leader Michael Wear, and Rabbi Michael Holzman (creator of faith250) bring different traditions and honest disagreements to one of the most consequential questions of our moment.
‘Peacemaking’ at Home: Reclaiming a Word We Need
Americans know “peacemaking” as work we do abroad. Yet we’re now watching our own civic fabric fray and politicized violence spread. Many Americans are laboring to re-knit healthy, stable communities. But here at home, we haven’t given ourselves permission to describe this national imperative as “peacemaking.” We’ll ask: Why are we slow to apply this definition to the task we face in America? What might become possible when we do? The discussion will include new ways that Braver Angels and the National Peace Corps Association are partnering to close the gap.
Are There Threats to our 2026 Elections?
Are there threats to our 2026 election, and if so what can be done? This panel discussion will address whether we face real threats, comparing pending Senate Bill SAVE ACT to the Braver Angels Trustworthy Elections Report (TE) and the Red‑Blue consensus from our 2024 campaign. Two of the leaders from that campaign will speak, as well as other election experts from conservative and liberal backgrounds. They’ll assess the impact of new electoral‑reform ideas, clarify emerging risks, evaluate the legislation’s impact, and explore how to strengthen trust in U.S. elections moving forward.
Love in the Age of Polarization
Polarization hasn’t just impacted our politics—it’s seeped into our most personal relationships. At a time when cutting off loved ones is an accepted cultural norm, how can we instead fight to stay in relationship with one another? Dr. Bill Doherty and Gabriella Kearns will be in conversation to talk about the state of love, dating, and relationships in our country, the conventional wisdom that has led us astray, and how we can find our way back to one another.
Braver Teens in Action: Youth Leading the Charge for Courageous Citizenship
Teens want civil discourse, meaningful engagement, and the skills to navigate disagreement productively. This interactive session shares inspiring stories of youth leading courageous citizenship efforts in schools and communities through Braver Angels workshops and initiatives. Participants will see “LAPP” communication tools modeled (Listen, Acknowledge, Pivot, Perspective), learn strategies teens have used to organize events and engage leaders, and receive practical youth-focused resources. Through real-life examples, discussion, and skill-building, attendees will leave with renewed hope, practical tools, and effective approaches for empowering teens to communicate courageously and lead constructive dialogue in their communities.
Civic Scholars Council Symposium
What does courageous citizenship look like in an age of polarization, fragmentation, and institutional distrust? This all-day symposium brings together scholars, practitioners, and civic leaders to explore how civic development, deliberative problem solving, and public work can strengthen the capacities, relationships, and shared practices necessary for democratic life to flourish.
Session 1: Deliberative Problem Solving
How do democratic societies make decisions amid deep disagreement and declining trust? This session explores how citizens and communities can engage complexity, deliberate productively, and develop the habits needed to address shared problems together.
Session 2: Public Work
What if democracy is not only something we debate and vote for, but something we build together? This session explores courageous citizenship as the co-creative work of creating and sustaining the institutions, relationships, and public goods of a democratic way of life.
Session 3: Civic Development
What kind of citizens must a democracy cultivate in order to survive? This session examines how reflection, moral judgment, emotional resilience, and intellectual humility contribute to healthier civic life and democratic renewal.
Science, Dignity and the Courage to Rebuild Trust
Science didn’t lose our trust all at once. Rebuilding it won’t happen all at once either — but it starts with conversations like this one. Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. John Ioannidis join Wilk Wilkinson on the main stage for the kind of honest, human conversation that’s been missing.
A Braver Way Live with Yuval Levin: Hope, Citizenship, and America at 250
One week before America’s 250th anniversary, Mónica Guzmán sits down live with Yuval Levin for a conversation about the Constitution, democratic culture, and what it takes to stay hopeful and engaged in dangerously divided times. Drawing from Levin’s work on institutions, civic life, and the promise of the American experiment, this live recording of A Braver Way explores how everyday citizens can help strengthen our republic—not by thinking alike, but by acting together.
Beyond the 6-3: Inside Today's Supreme Court
Six conservatives. Three liberals. End of story. Except Kavanaugh sided with Kagan more than with Gorsuch last term. Sarah Isgur, SCOTUSblog editor and author of Last Branch Standing, joins us to look beyond the partisan score and inside the institution still doing the work the Founders designed it for. Moderated by David Dwyer, Senior Washington reporter for ABC News.
Coliseum Debate: Immigration
Have you ever seen immigration experts disagree productively? The experts we work with at the Braver Angels Immigration Policy Roundtable are pros at it. Join us for this Coliseum Debate featuring four immigration experts modeling the Braver Angels Way as they share their perspectives on Resolved: We need immigrants to fill jobs in the US.
American Covenant: Reflections on Polarization, Virtue and the Constitution
Is the Constitution an antiquated source of division in America? Or is it a vehicle for the formation of civic virtue, whose wisdom holds the answer to our national divide? Yuval Levin, author of American Covenant, reacquaints us with the insight and relevance of the Constitution in conversation with Braver Angels National Ambassador, John Wood Jr.
Can Populism Help America Find Common Ground?
“Populism is polarizing,” is the standard charge against populism. But why do a significant number of voters say they’d either vote for Trump or Bernie Sanders? Is there a version of populism that could actually lead many Americans on left and right to find agreement and help America address some of its biggest challenges–and what is populism, anyway? In this session, credentialed professionals and working-class populists from right and left explore the prospects for populism.
What Happens When Immigration Rivals Break Bread For a Year?
A discussion with national immigration leaders who have been working against each other for decades, but have been meeting for the last year as part of the Braver Angels Immigration Policy Roundtable, a group of a couple dozen national immigration leaders meeting regularly to better understand their differences and find agreement. In this session, we’ll hear from several of these leaders, including ardent conservatives and strong liberals who have been on the frontlines of America’s immigration battles.
A Press Worthy of the Pledge: Journalism for a Renewed Republic
Outrage scales. Building doesn’t, yet. Amanda Ripley, John Gable, and Roxanne Patel Shepelavy have each built working models of journalism that reward citizenship over conflict, from the national craft to the city block. Come imagine what the American press looks like when courageous citizenship is the honored norm, and how we get there from here.
Jazz, the Blues, and the Omni-American Dream
If America were like a song she might be like the blues: full of tragedy and pain, but rich with poetry and triumph. If democracy were music than democracy would be jazz, full of improvisation between people from all walks of life. Featuring Cornel West, John Wood Jr. and a panel of musicians and scholars playing real time musical sounds, this session explores the blues/jazz tradition of American cultural and Democratic interpretation, reimagining the American identity through the musical metaphor of the blues.
A Healthier America: Building Trust Through Cross-Partisanship in Public Health
Cross-partisan public health recognizes the importance of seriously engaging with all groups within a community, not to impose its will but to genuinely listen and look for common ground in policy-building. This breakout will be a panel discussion among public health experts and community members with a range of views and lived experiences affecting—and affected by—public health policy.
What Faith Owes Democracy, and What Democracy Owes Faith
The founders didn’t just sign a Declaration. They made a pledge: staking their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor on a shared commitment to something larger than themselves. Two hundred fifty years later, faith communities across America are wrestling with what that pledge means for them. Is religion a resource for democracy, or a threat to it? What does courageous citizenship look like from inside a congregation, a church, or a synagogue? Brookings scholar Jonathan Rauch, Christian civic leader Michael Wear, and Rabbi Michael Holzman (creator of faith250) bring different traditions and honest disagreements to one of the most consequential questions of our moment.
‘Peacemaking’ at Home: Reclaiming a Word We Need
Americans know “peacemaking” as work we do abroad. Yet we’re now watching our own civic fabric fray and politicized violence spread. Many Americans are laboring to re-knit healthy, stable communities. But here at home, we haven’t given ourselves permission to describe this national imperative as “peacemaking.” We’ll ask: Why are we slow to apply this definition to the task we face in America? What might become possible when we do? The discussion will include new ways that Braver Angels and the National Peace Corps Association are partnering to close the gap.
Are There Threats to our 2026 Elections?
Are there threats to our 2026 election, and if so what can be done? This panel discussion will address whether we face real threats, comparing pending Senate Bill SAVE ACT to the Braver Angels Trustworthy Elections Report (TE) and the Red‑Blue consensus from our 2024 campaign. Two of the leaders from that campaign will speak, as well as other election experts from conservative and liberal backgrounds. They’ll assess the impact of new electoral‑reform ideas, clarify emerging risks, evaluate the legislation’s impact, and explore how to strengthen trust in U.S. elections moving forward.
Love in the Age of Polarization
Polarization hasn’t just impacted our politics—it’s seeped into our most personal relationships. At a time when cutting off loved ones is an accepted cultural norm, how can we instead fight to stay in relationship with one another? Dr. Bill Doherty and Gabriella Kearns will be in conversation to talk about the state of love, dating, and relationships in our country, the conventional wisdom that has led us astray, and how we can find our way back to one another.
Braver Teens in Action: Youth Leading the Charge for Courageous Citizenship
Teens want civil discourse, meaningful engagement, and the skills to navigate disagreement productively. This interactive session shares inspiring stories of youth leading courageous citizenship efforts in schools and communities through Braver Angels workshops and initiatives. Participants will see “LAPP” communication tools modeled (Listen, Acknowledge, Pivot, Perspective), learn strategies teens have used to organize events and engage leaders, and receive practical youth-focused resources. Through real-life examples, discussion, and skill-building, attendees will leave with renewed hope, practical tools, and effective approaches for empowering teens to communicate courageously and lead constructive dialogue in their communities.
Civic Scholars Council Symposium
What does courageous citizenship look like in an age of polarization, fragmentation, and institutional distrust? This all-day symposium brings together scholars, practitioners, and civic leaders to explore how civic development, deliberative problem solving, and public work can strengthen the capacities, relationships, and shared practices necessary for democratic life to flourish.
Session 1: Deliberative Problem Solving
How do democratic societies make decisions amid deep disagreement and declining trust? This session explores how citizens and communities can engage complexity, deliberate productively, and develop the habits needed to address shared problems together.
Session 2: Public Work
What if democracy is not only something we debate, but something we build together? This session explores citizenship as the work of creating and sustaining the institutions, relationships, and public goods that make self-government possible.
Session 3: Civic Development
What kind of citizens must a democracy cultivate in order to survive? This session examines how reflection, moral judgment, emotional resilience, and intellectual humility contribute to healthier civic life and democratic renewal.
Featured Workshops
The Science and Practice of Constructive Disagreement
Disagreement can be a source of insight and a driver of innovation, or a source of stress and a catalyst for drama. During this session, Julia Minson, Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a leading expert on the psychology of disagreement, will share insights from her new book, How to Disagree Better. Drawing on decades of cutting-edge research, Julia will offer participants concrete strategies for improving conversations across disagreement in the workplace, among family members, and in civic life.
Healing the Space Between Us
Problems between people are relational—they are ruptures of the space between us. In this workshop, we will learn how to heal this space and bring people together by diagnosing and progressing through the five levels of relation—Division, Subtraction, Addition, Multiplication, and Compounding. The founding of this nation is an instructive example of compounding and a blueprint for interpersonal and national renewal.
The Enemies Project Method
A year ago, longtime mediator Larry Rosen and his college-age daughter, Sadie Rosen, launched The Enemies Project, a YouTube channel where “enemies” discover the human being in each other. Since then, The Enemies Project has been viewed over 30 million times across platforms, with over 250,000 subscribers. The most common comment: I feel hopeful again for our country. Come discover why their process works so well in fostering understanding. You’ll be paired for a 1:1-style conversation and learn techniques that have captivated millions.
The Science and Practice of Constructive Disagreement
Disagreement can be a source of insight and a driver of innovation, or a source of stress and a catalyst for drama. During this session, Julia Minson, Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a leading expert on the psychology of disagreement, will share insights from her new book, How to Disagree Better. Drawing on decades of cutting-edge research, Julia will offer participants concrete strategies for improving conversations across disagreement in the workplace, among family members, and in civic life.
Healing the Space Between Us
Problems between people are relational—they are ruptures of the space between us. In this workshop, we will learn how to heal this space and bring people together by diagnosing and progressing through the five levels of relation—Division, Subtraction, Addition, Multiplication, and Compounding. The founding of this nation is an instructive example of compounding and a blueprint for interpersonal and national renewal.
The Enemies Project Method
A year ago, longtime mediator Larry Rosen and his college-age daughter, Sadie Rosen, launched The Enemies Project, a YouTube channel where “enemies” discover the human being in each other. Since then, The Enemies Project has been viewed over 30 million times across platforms, with over 250,000 subscribers. The most common comment: I feel hopeful again for our country. Come discover why their process works so well in fostering understanding. You’ll be paired for a 1:1-style conversation and learn techniques that have captivated millions.
Citizen-Led Solutions: A Pillar of Courageous Citizenship
Curious about how Braver Angels can move from conversation to community action and impact? This session explores the basics of Citizen-Led Solutions (CLS), including the Foster–Forge–Follow Through framework, examples from the field, and practical ways communities are turning courageous citizenship into collaborative action.
Polarity to Productivity: Depolarizing the American Workplace
Political polarization has jumped from news feeds into the workplace—fracturing teams, draining talent, and driving away clients. Join us to share your own experiences and examine how ideological friction erodes productivity, morale, and professional trust. Together, we will analyze these costly organizational impacts and preview a bold new blueprint for a Braver Workplace initiative designed to bring courageous citizenship straight to the corporate sector.
Debate Chair Training
Interested in becoming a Braver Angels Debate Chair? Complete your training here in Philadelphia. Participants will have the chance to wield the gavel and role play challenging experiences encountered by Debate Chairs.
NOTE: This session is open to all, but those who intend to complete their Debate Chair qualification must complete the Debate Chair eCourse prior to participating.
A Braver Campus Dialogue for All
At this year’s convention, we’re inviting Braver Angels community and alliance members to experience A Braver Campus Dialogue (ABCD) firsthand! Developed by the College Debates & Discourse Alliance in collaboration with Braver Angels co-founder Dr. Bill Doherty, ABCD moves beyond debating opposing affirmation and negation. Guided by a trained moderator in a parliamentary format similar to Braver Angels debates, participants first explore the root causes of complex issues, and then propose and examine solutions together, closing with a debrief for reflection and shared takeaways. Much more than a demonstration, this session is designed to create genuine intergenerational dialogue. By bringing students and community members into the same room, participants of different ages and life experiences will collaboratively tackle a relevant and complex issue, listen across generational divides, and practice the kind of productive discourse that ABCD was designed to foster.
Cultivating Courageous Citizenship with the Civic Scholars Council
At a time of polarization, civic exhaustion, and institutional distrust, what kind of citizens must we become to sustain democratic life together? Drawing on new essays from scholars, practitioners, and civic leaders, this interactive session explores civic development, deliberative problem solving, and public work while inviting participants to help shape the future of the Civic Scholars Council.
Student Voices, Stronger Campuses: Stories from CD&D Fellows
In this immersive breakout, the College Debates & Discourse Alliance (CD&D) is turning the microphone over to student leaders. This session offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the fellows and leaders who have brought Braver Angels Collegiate Debates and Braver Campus Dialogues to life on their campuses through a dynamic, guided conversation. Whether you’re a student curious about getting involved, a community member invested in working with the next generation of civic leaders, or simply someone who wants to get a sense of what this work looks like on the ground, this breakout is for you!
Create a Song Across Differences
Join Braver Angels Music for a collaborative songwriting experience where participants will work together across perspectives to create an original song during the convention. Participants will engage in guided conversation, creative collaboration, and group songwriting alongside BAM facilitators and featured convention artist(s), including Derek Richard Thomas (DRT). The completed song will be shared during the convention’s final celebration concert. No professional songwriting experience is required – only curiosity, openness, and a willingness to create together. NOTE: Because of the collaborative nature of the workshop and limited convention time, participants should expect a remote pre-convention preparation component to help the group make the most of the experience.
Common Ground Workshops on Immigration
This year, the Citizens Commision on Immigration will be leading two Common Ground Workshops on immigration, the topic chosen by the delegates at the 2024 National Convention. These Common Ground Workshops will bring together a small group of equal numbers of Reds and Blues to see where agreements can be reached on values, concerns, and policies/ and remedies. Observers are welcome.
How to Organize and Run a Constituent Conversation
This workshop covers all the logistics of preparing for and running a Constituent Conversation. It will give you all the tips and tricks we have learned about how to get your Member of Congress on board, reccruit participants, prepare for both the preceding Common Ground workshop and the Constituent Conversation, line up all the resources you will need, conduct both sessions, get media coverage, and follow up afterward. It will also provide a full set of tools to help you through the process.
Polarization in 2026: Insights from More in Common
Braver Dialogue: Facilitation Training for a Healthier Civic Culture
Braver Angels Alliances across the country have used Living Room Conversations (LRC) as a practical tool for discussing difficult issues, strengthening relationships, and building dialogue capacity within their communities. This interactive workshop is a new requisite for using LRC and equips participants with facilitation techniques that foster balanced participation, active listening, and meaningful engagement across disagreement. Participants will leave better prepared to host conversations that build civic trust and inspire continued community engagement.
The Dignity Index: Skills for Our Hardest Conversations
This interactive, cross-partisan workshop introduces the Dignity Index as a practical tool for lowering political temperature without lowering conviction. Participants learn the Dignity Index scale, engage in applied scoring using real-world examples, and experience the “Mirror Effect”—a moment when the Index becomes personal. Rather than focusing only on “the other side,” participants recognize patterns in their own language and identify ways to use the tool in their political, professional, and personal lives. Alliance Co-Chairs: learn how to bring this Dignity Index workshop back to your community.
Polarization in 2026: Insights from More in Common
Braver Dialogue: Facilitation Training for a Healthier Civic Culture
Braver Angels Alliances across the country have used Living Room Conversations (LRC) as a practical tool for discussing difficult issues, strengthening relationships, and building dialogue capacity within their communities. This interactive workshop is a new requisite for using LRC and equips participants with facilitation techniques that foster balanced participation, active listening, and meaningful engagement across disagreement. Participants will leave better prepared to host conversations that build civic trust and inspire continued community engagement.
The Dignity Index: Skills for Our Hardest Conversations
This interactive, cross-partisan workshop introduces the Dignity Index as a practical tool for lowering political temperature without lowering conviction. Participants learn the Dignity Index scale, engage in applied scoring using real-world examples, and experience the “Mirror Effect”—a moment when the Index becomes personal. Rather than focusing only on “the other side,” participants recognize patterns in their own language and identify ways to use the tool in their political, professional, and personal lives. Alliance Co-Chairs: learn how to bring this Dignity Index workshop back to your community.
Featured Artists
At this year’s National Convention, Braver Angels is honored to welcome three incredible artists to the stage: Carrie Manolakos, Derek Richard Thomas, and Greg Thomas. Each embodying a unique background and genre, these artists will join us onstage for performances and a special panel discussion: Music’s Role in Courageous Citizenship: Panel Discussion with the Convention’s Featured Artists. And stick around for our Closing Night Concert and Party – it’ll be a night to remember!
Carrie Manolakos
Derek Richard Thomas
Greg Thomas
Featured Activities
Courageous Citizenship in Action: Kit-Making for Philadelphians in Need
What does courageous citizenship look like in action? Partner up with your fellow delegates and help give back to Philadelphians by assembling kits for those in need. Partnering with JustServe and Philabundance, this special service project is a unique opportunity to experience courageous citizenship first-hand – intentionally working across differences for the betterment of the community. Grab an old friend or meet a new one, and help us support those in need!
A Portrait of America at 250
Come get your portrait taken by participating in this exciting collaboration between professional photographer Bob Handelman and Mónica Guzmán! Throughout the convention, Bob will be photographing and briefly interviewing as many participants as possible for his project, Americana: Know Thy Neighbor, which will also be featured on Mónica Guzmán’s A Braver Way podcast. Photos and interviews may be shared by Braver Angels following the convention. Sign up for a 15-minute session in advance in the Whova app.
1776 → 2026: Declaration of Independence Recording
1776 → 2026. On these hallowed grounds 250 years ago, our Founding Fathers came together and created one of the divining documents of our nation: The Declaration of Independence. Today, we’re revisiting that document by creating a video of our delegates reciting this famous text. Come record yourself reciting a section of the Declaration and be a part of this unique video experience. Sign up for a 15-minute session in advance in the Whova app.
Closing Night Concert & Party
A Celebration. The Opening Act includes performances from this year’s Featured Artists and a variety of Braver Angels musicians performing covers, original songs, and, notably, the songs written during the Common Ground Songwriting Workshops. After that, it’s party time! For the first time ever, we’ll be bringing out a DJ and opening up the dance floor for a night of celebration. Drinks, snacks, and excellent vibes will be in abundance.
Grab a Beer with Ben Franklin: Ask Me Anything
Have you ever wanted to hit the pub with one of our nation’s Founding Fathers? Now’s your chance! Join B.J. Pryor, a professional portrayer of Benjamin Franklin, for an Ask Me Anything session at the campus pub. Learn anything you could ever want to know about Ben Franklin while enjoying a pint.
Speed-Friending: How to Make and Keep Friends Across Political Differences
Have you ever lost a friend over something political? Or looking to make new friends who might believe something different than you? Then come to this student-only speed-friending event and practice in a safe environment while meeting lots of your fellow students on the first night of the convention!
Exhibit Hall
Step into the Exhibit Hall and immerse yourself in a celebration of our movement’s progress, showcasing the remarkable achievements of Braver Angels alliances and our Partners.
Guided Tours of Historic Philadelphia
The Dialogue Institute at Temple University is pleased to offer a series of three guided walking tours led by Dr. David Krueger in Philadelphia’s historic district. Each tour explores examples of the challenges the founders faced as they committed their lives to working together to build a new nation, one striving for equality and democracy. Digital tours are available on the Religious Freedom Trails app, available on the App Store and Google Play.
Visit Independence Square
Take a shuttle to historic Independence Square for some learning and sightseeing. This year, we are partnering with the National Constitution Center and the Museum of the American Revolution to offer complimentary admission to our convention delegates.
Film Screenings
Creede U.S.A.
Welcome to Creede, CO – a remote, historic mining town with no stop light, a theater company, and 300+ folks at 9,000 feet. This unlikely setting – with its miners, ranchers, and theater people – offers an unexpected lens on divisions felt by Americans everywhere. An official selection of festivals like SXSW, DOC NYC, and Denver Film Festival, this inspiring documentary explores how this community continues to find common ground and offers a poignant reflection on the challenges and possibilities of coexistence in an increasingly polarized world. Q&A with director Kahane Corn Cooperman and producer Innbo Shim to follow.
Homegrown
Homegrown is an award-winning feature documentary that follows three conservatives as they join a widening conflict over identity, power, and the future of American democracy. Filmed between 2018 and 2025 with on-the-ground scenes of January 6, Homegrown provides rare insight into this moment in America. A 2026 duPont-Columbia Award winner. Q&A with director Michael Premo and producer Rachel Falcone to follow.
9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero
After the 9/11 attacks, after the smoke was gone, after the rubble cleared away, New Yorkers had a city to rebuild. In response to fast-tracked redevelopment plans, more than 5,000 people gathered in the largest town hall in American history. They came to vote on the city’s six proposals for rebuilding Ground Zero. But instead, the people rejected the top-down approach and successfully charted a new path forward. Their work determined what is at Ground Zero today. And their story is an example of what democracy can look like. Q&A with director Josh Sabey to follow.
It's All The Rage
Come and play a role in the making of a major new motion picture! It’s All the Rage is an upcoming feature documentary film that is taking a hard look at the sources of America’s extreme social and political polarization and at some viable solutions, featuring folks like Maury Giles, Mónica Guzmán, Wilk Wilkinson, Judy Woodruff, David French, and Amanda Ripley. During this 90-minute presentation, the audience will screen a number of rough sequences from the film, meet some of the characters and the production team, and then be asked for feedback, which will inform the producers as they finish the film!
A House United
Polarization across the United States is deep-rooted and unprecedented, but this is not a story of polarization. This documentary charts the efforts of individuals and organizations addressing this issue. The Bridge Builders of America—from unsung heroes to elected officials—lead efforts that are also deep-rooted, unprecedented, and sweeping across the nation. This is a story in the making of a House United. A documentary in partnership with Braver Angels, Disagree Better, and Jojo Film.
Goodbye Politicians. Hello Democracy.
What if we replaced politicians with ordinary people — chosen not in elections, but in lotteries? In 2020, as COVID and a bitter election push Michigan toward a breaking point, 30 strangers from across the state are called on to try to do what politicians couldn’t: agree on a path forward. Goodbye Politicians. Hello Democracy. shows what happens when these regular people wrestle with our deep differences and difficult decisions — offering a rare glimpse of what democracy might actually look like. Q&A with director Adam Cronkright to follow.
Come Early, Stay Late
- Tour Carthage College
- Visit the Convention Exhibit Hall
- Attend a symposium on college debates and public discourse
- Interdenominational Chapel Service
- Open Discussion: “Ask Braver Angels Founders Anything”
