Attend a Workshop
Beginner Workshops
- Depolarizing Within
- Skills for Bridging the Divide
- Skills for Social Media
Summary
Goals
- How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer”
- How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population
- Strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.
The Depolarizing Within Workshop is designed to foster skills to help you lessen the effects of polarization when you encounter them in your political conversations.
Note that by “polarization,” we are not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy. We are talking about how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of the political aisle.
Anyone interested in examining their own inner polarization and learning strategies to disagree without condemning or ridiculing others. Depolarizing Within is ideal for organizations like communities of worship, social clubs or educational institutions who want to reduce or avoid the divisiveness of political polarization.
There are two versions of the Depolarizing Within workshops. Our Standard version is a group session that is approximately 3 hours long, and our Hybrid version that requires participants to complete a 40 minute interactive online course before taking part in a group session that runs approximately 2 hours long.
Summary
Goals
- To learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically
- To have a sense of satisfaction about how you conveyed your own perspective, feelings, and experiences
- To discover some common ground, if it’s there
In our current polarized political environment, many people avoid or dread political conversations with friends or family members whose politics differ from their own. They worry, rightly so, that any attempts at political discussions will devolve into arguments and acrimony, and result in hurt feelings or anger.
Braver Angels Skills for Bridging the Divide Workshops teach skills for having respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship. They also give participants a safe environment to practice those skills.
In addition to the standard skills workshop, Braver Angels also holds special skills workshops: one designed especially for Reds, and the other designed for Blues.
Skills for Bridging the Divide workshops are approximately 2 ½ hours long.
Anyone interested in having better conversations with people on the other side of the political aisle. Unlike a Red/Blue workshop, Skills for Bridging the Divide does not require even numbers of Reds and Blues. These workshops can also be larger, up to 50 or so people.
Skills for Bridging the Divide is ideal for organizations like communities of worship, social clubs or educational institutions who want to reduce or avoid the divisiveness of political polarization.
After a brief introduction and a discussion about what can go wrong in political discussions, participants in a skills workshop can expect to learn and practice the following:
- Tone setting skills
- Listening skills
- Speaking skills
- Handling difficult moments
Summary
Goals
- You will have the knowledge and skills to avoid contributing to polarization in your social media use.
- You will have strategies for getting out of difficult situations on social media.
- You will have tools for using social media to depolarize yourself and engage more constructively across differences.
Social media posts are often highly polarizing, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Braver Angels Skills for Social Media is a new workshop designed to improve the culture of posts and conversations in social media and provide a constructive alternative to the polarized and judgmental exchanges that dominate the current discourse. This can lead to more productive conversations and maybe joint action with people of all political leanings.
Anyone interested in having better conversations with people on the other side of the political aisle. Unlike a Red/Blue workshop, Skills for Bridging the Divide does not require even numbers of Reds and Blues. These workshops can also be larger, up to 50 or so people.
Skills for Bridging the Divide is ideal for organizations like communities of worship, social clubs or educational institutions who want to reduce or avoid the divisiveness of political polarization.
An online workshop (an ecourse of approximately 30 minutes duration) teaching Braver Angel Skills on social media. The focus is on skills for people who choose to engage about politics on social media, not on the societal impact of social media. A follow-up workshop to further practice the skills interactively will be available by early 2022.
Evenly-Balanced Workshops
- Red / Blue
- Common Ground
Summary
Goals
- To better understand the experiences and beliefs of those on the other side of the political divide.
- To see if there are areas of commonality in addition to differences.
- To learn something that might be helpful to others in our community and the nation.
5-8 Republican-leaning citizens (“Reds”) and 5-8 Democratic-leaning citizens (“Blues”) gather together for a half-day or full-day of structured conversations. Independents are also welcome to attend. We only ask that for the purposes of the workshop they identify as leaning either Red or Blue, or attend as observers.
There are two types of Red/Blue workshops: 3-hour workshops that cover two exercises, and 6-hour plus lunch workshops that cover all four exercises. We recommend that people attend the 6-hour version if possible.
Two moderators, trained by Braver Angels, lead the workshop, ensuring that ground rules are followed and that everyone is treated respectfully.
After a brief introduction and discussion of ground rules, attendees of Red/Blue workshops participate in four exercises:
- Stereotypes Exercise – Separate red and blue groups generate, discuss, and report back on the most common false stereotypes or misconceptions of their side, why these stereotypes are wrong, what is true instead, and whether there is a kernel of truth in the stereotype.
- Fishbowl Exercise – In the Fishbowl exercise, one group sits in chairs in the middle and the other group sits around them to listen and learn. Then the two groups switch positions. There is no interaction between the groups during the fishbowl exercise. Afterwards, people are invited to share what they learned about how the other side sees themselves and if they see anything in common.
- Questions Exercise – In the Questions exercise, separate groups of reds and blues meet to generate questions of understanding (as opposed to “gotcha” questions). They then merge into mixed groups of half reds and half blues, and ask the questions to the other side to gain genuine understanding of the views and experiences of people on the other side.
- How Can We Contribute Exercise – Everyone fills out an action grid handout and then pairs up with someone of the other color to share one action step with the whole group. The question: What can each of us do individually, what can our side do, and what might both sides do together to promote better understanding of differences and search for common ground?
Summary
Goals
- To delve into a single issue where citizens differ, and learn how each other sees the problem
- To delineate areas of common ground and points of agreement
- To learn something that might be helpful to others in our community and the nation
The Braver Angels Common Ground Workshop brings together equal numbers Conservatives and Liberals – Reds and Blues (4-8 of each) – for a deep dive into a problem, such as addressing climate change, electoral reform or abortion. Together participants talk about their connection to the issue and their opinion on solutions. By the end of the 3.5 hour online event they have come up with jointly and unanimously held Points of Agreements on values, concerns and policies. (A longer in-person version is also available.)
The team for the workshop includes 2 trained moderators, potentially 2 additional Small-group Facilitators, and 3 Zoom Event Managers who help keep the process moving and make sure all can participate comfortably and be respected in their differences.
The Common Ground workshop is an out-growth of Braver Angels signature Red-Blue workshop and allows participants to go deeper into a single issue. Points of Agreement can be fleshed out at future group meetings, and when possible lead to joint Red-Blue actions such as op-eds, joint speaking and meetings with legislators.
The workshop can include participants who have experienced other Braver Angels workshops, as well as newcomers. Every workshop will ideally have a good number of experienced participants. Observers are also welcome, and do not need to identify their color, or be balanced in numbers.
One optional way to prepare participants for the workshop can be for a Red-Blue pair of organizers to approve fact sheets on the issue that come from sources acceptable to both sides. These materials will not be discussed explicitly in the workshop, but can provide background information to participants as they prepare for the discussion.
After a brief introduction and discussion of ground rules, attendees of Common Ground workshops participate in four exercises:
- Small Red-Blue Groups on how the participants connect personally to the issue — Participants have an opportunity to express what is at the heart of the matter for them. Storytelling is encouraged.
- Red-Blue Dyad Pairs explore where each stand on policies to address the issue – Participants share how what solutions they support. Their partner is encouraged to ask a question of curiosity to further understand how they are thinking about the problem.
- Common Ground Exercise – Separate groups of Reds and Blues meet to come up with a list of Values, Concerns and Policies on the issue, that they believe they and the other side could support. Upon returning to the full group, the lists are shared. Any item that does not receive unanimous support from everyone in the workshop, is eliminated.
- Further Exploration of Points of Agreement – In a mixed Red-Blue group, participants have a chance to further explore points that did not receive support. Some new points are then returned to the group for further testing of consensus. The combined list of values, concerns and policies that are unanimously accepted become the Points of Agreement
- Action Steps – Participants briefly discuss how they might want to continue to work together to discuss how to address the issue, and to promote the Points of Agreement.
Specialized Workshops
- Families and Politics
- Public Policy and Race
- Faith-Sponsored
Summary
Goals
- Insight into why family differences over politics are uniquely challenging.
- Recognition of common roles that family members play in political conversations (for example, the Gladiator, the Defender, and the Sniper)
- Strategies and skills for handling family political differences in a constructive way.
Family relationships are becoming casualties of our toxic polarized environment. Family members are having nasty political arguments, avoiding each other, or even cutting off lifetime relationships. If you want to preserve important family bonds while still being true to your values and political beliefs, this workshop is for you!
Although the focus is on family relationships, you can use strategies in this workshop with any loved one. You’ll laugh and have some fun in this workshop—it won’t be all serious. After all, we all come from quirky families
The Families and Politics workshop requires participants to complete a 40-minute interactive course online before taking part in a group session that runs approximately 2 hours long.
Summary
The Skills for Conversations about Public Policy and Race Workshop teaches skills for having more productive conversations about contentious policy issues related to race, such as affirmative action, policing, removing statues, and reparations.
The workshop also helps conservatives and liberals understand core values and principles of those who differ from them on public policy issues connected to race in America.
Workshop Goals:
- To become better at listening to people who have differing views on race and public policy, so they feel heard; and
- More skilled in expressing views in a way that the other person can hear you.
- More able to see common ground when it is present.
- More confident that you can search for solutions with people of all races, including those who disagree with you.
The workshop is for anyone who:
- Wants to learn to communicate more effectively about race and public policy with people who differ from them politically
- Believe in the equal worth and dignity of persons of all races
- Are prepared to listen, learn, and practice skills rather than criticize, instruct, or try to enlighten participants with different views
- Welcome and Orientation
- Four Strategies
- iLAPP Skills Practice
- Invite
- Listen
- Acknowledge/Agree
- Pivot
- Perspective
- Handling Difficult Moments
- Checkout and Evaluation
Nowadays there are many kinds of workshops dealing with race. Given the Braver Angels focus on divisions over public policy and our principle of not teaching people how they should think about political issues, it’s important to be clear what this workshop does not offer.
It is not:
- A personal encounter between people of different races (the Braver Angels 1:1 conversations offer this)
- An in-depth discussion of race relations and racial identity in America
- An opportunity to explore participants’ attitudes towards people of other races
Because the red/blue divide makes it hard for Americans of all races to reason together and find common ground on important policy issues related to race. This political divide exists within and across all ethnic and cultural communities, and it’s something that Braver Angels is uniquely positioned to help address. This skills workshop is one of what we hope will be a larger menu of offerings on the topic.
The workshop is a total of 3-hours
The workshop can either be On-line or In-Person
Summary
To reflect America in our offerings, these workshops support communities of faith in progressing the mission of Braver Angels.
Faith-Sponsored Workshops (FSW) are Braver Angels workshops that include an additional opening and closing that is specific to the faith tradition, led by the faith organization that is hosting the workshop. Faith-Sponsored Workshops require the faith-organization’s host to be actively involved in planning and leading both the opening and closing activities, which can include a faith-based rationale, prayer, and/or other practices. The core Braver Angels workshop materials are unchanged.
Braver Angels plans to offer Faith-Sponsored Workshops for a variety of faith traditions in the near future. These workshops will bring depolarizing skills and experiences to your faith organizations. The first Faith-Sponsored Workshops are focused on the Christian faith.
Goals
- To learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically
- To have a sense of satisfaction about how you conveyed your own perspective, feelings, and experiences
- To discover some common ground, if it’s there
- Being Red in a Blue Environment
- Being Blue in a Red Environment
Summary
Goals
- Learn new strategies for handling the challenge of being a political minority in a mostly liberal environment.
- Develop new skills for communicating conservatives values and beliefs in a way that others might hear.
- Feel more confident as a conservative in environments where everyone else is trying to make you blue.
Being Red in a Blue Environment is a new skills workshop where participants learn safe and effective ways to communicate conservative values and beliefs in environments where liberal ideas are assumed to be correct.
The idea for the workshop came from conversations with individuals who said they are looking for safe and effective ways to communicate their conservative values and beliefs in environments where liberal ideas are assumed to be correct—and where conservative people may be seen as ignorant, misguided, or even immoral. Although there will be examples of the challenges you may face with liberals in your world, this will be a “no whining” zone. We will focus on the question, “What can I do?” rather than “Aren’t they awful?”
This free online workshop is for political conservatives who are surrounded by liberals in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community.
Summary
Goals
- Learn new strategies for handling the challenge of being a political minority in a mostly conservative environment.
- Develop new skills for communicating liberal values and beliefs in a way that others might hear.
- Feel more confident as a liberal in environments where everyone else is trying to make you red.
Being Blue in a Red Environment is a new skills workshop where participants learn safe and effective ways to communicate liberal values and beliefs in environments where conservative ideas are assumed to be correct.
The idea for the workshop came from conversations with individuals who said they are looking for safe and effective ways to communicate their liberal values and beliefs in environments where conservative ideas are assumed to be correct—and where more liberal people may be seen as ignorant, misguided, or even immoral. Although there will be examples of the challenges you may face with conservatives in your world, this will be a “no whining” zone. We will focus on the question, “What can I do?” rather than “Aren’t they awful?”
This free workshop is for political progressives, liberals or any blue-leaning individuals who are surrounded by conservatives in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community.
This workshop is 3-hours long, either On-Line or In-Person.
Workshops
Select a workshop and read the full description below.
- Depolarizing Within
- Skills for Bridging the Divide
- Skills for Social Media
- Red / Blue
- Common Ground
- Families and Politics
- Race Conversations
- Faith-Sponsored
- Being Red in a Blue Environment
- Being Blue in a Red Environment
Summary
Goals
- How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer”
- How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population
- Strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.
The Depolarizing Within Workshop is designed to foster skills to help you lessen the effects of polarization when you encounter them in your political conversations.
Note that by “polarization,” we are not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy. We are talking about how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of the political aisle.
Anyone interested in examining their own inner polarization and learning strategies to disagree without condemning or ridiculing others. Depolarizing Within is ideal for organizations like communities of worship, social clubs or educational institutions who want to reduce or avoid the divisiveness of political polarization.
There are two versions of the Depolarizing Within workshops. Our Standard version is a group session that is approximately 3 hours long, and our Hybrid version that requires participants to complete a 40 minute interactive online course before taking part in a group session that runs approximately 2 hours long.
Summary
Goals
- To learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically
- To have a sense of satisfaction about how you conveyed your own perspective, feelings, and experiences
- To discover some common ground, if it’s there
In our current polarized political environment, many people avoid or dread political conversations with friends or family members whose politics differ from their own. They worry, rightly so, that any attempts at political discussions will devolve into arguments and acrimony, and result in hurt feelings or anger.
Braver Angels Skills for Bridging the Divide Workshops teach skills for having respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship. They also give participants a safe environment to practice those skills.
In addition to the standard skills workshop, Braver Angels also holds special skills workshops: one designed especially for Reds, and the other designed for Blues.
Skills for Bridging the Divide workshops are approximately 2 ½ hours long.
Anyone interested in having better conversations with people on the other side of the political aisle. Unlike a Red/Blue workshop, Skills for Bridging the Divide does not require even numbers of Reds and Blues. These workshops can also be larger, up to 50 or so people.
Skills for Bridging the Divide is ideal for organizations like communities of worship, social clubs or educational institutions who want to reduce or avoid the divisiveness of political polarization.
After a brief introduction and a discussion about what can go wrong in political discussions, participants in a skills workshop can expect to learn and practice the following:
- Tone setting skills
- Listening skills
- Speaking skills
- Handling difficult moments
Summary
Goals
- You will have the knowledge and skills to avoid contributing to polarization in your social media use.
- You will have strategies for getting out of difficult situations on social media.
- You will have tools for using social media to depolarize yourself and engage more constructively across differences.
Social media posts are often highly polarizing, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Braver Angels Skills for Social Media is a new workshop designed to improve the culture of posts and conversations in social media and provide a constructive alternative to the polarized and judgmental exchanges that dominate the current discourse. This can lead to more productive conversations and maybe joint action with people of all political leanings.
Anyone interested in having better conversations with people on the other side of the political aisle. Unlike a Red/Blue workshop, Skills for Bridging the Divide does not require even numbers of Reds and Blues. These workshops can also be larger, up to 50 or so people.
Skills for Bridging the Divide is ideal for organizations like communities of worship, social clubs or educational institutions who want to reduce or avoid the divisiveness of political polarization.
An online workshop (an ecourse of approximately 30 minutes duration) teaching Braver Angel Skills on social media. The focus is on skills for people who choose to engage about politics on social media, not on the societal impact of social media. A follow-up workshop to further practice the skills interactively will be available by early 2022.
Summary
Goals
- To better understand the experiences and beliefs of those on the other side of the political divide.
- To see if there are areas of commonality in addition to differences.
- To learn something that might be helpful to others in our community and the nation.
5-8 Republican-leaning citizens (“Reds”) and 5-8 Democratic-leaning citizens (“Blues”) gather together for a half-day or full-day of structured conversations. Independents are also welcome to attend. We only ask that for the purposes of the workshop they identify as leaning either Red or Blue, or attend as observers.
There are two types of Red/Blue workshops: 3-hour workshops that cover two exercises, and 6-hour plus lunch workshops that cover all four exercises. We recommend that people attend the 6-hour version if possible.
Two moderators, trained by Braver Angels, lead the workshop, ensuring that ground rules are followed and that everyone is treated respectfully.
After a brief introduction and discussion of ground rules, attendees of Red/Blue workshops participate in four exercises:
- Stereotypes Exercise – Separate red and blue groups generate, discuss, and report back on the most common false stereotypes or misconceptions of their side, why these stereotypes are wrong, what is true instead, and whether there is a kernel of truth in the stereotype.
- Fishbowl Exercise – In the Fishbowl exercise, one group sits in chairs in the middle and the other group sits around them to listen and learn. Then the two groups switch positions. There is no interaction between the groups during the fishbowl exercise. Afterwards, people are invited to share what they learned about how the other side sees themselves and if they see anything in common.
- Questions Exercise – In the Questions exercise, separate groups of reds and blues meet to generate questions of understanding (as opposed to “gotcha” questions). They then merge into mixed groups of half reds and half blues, and ask the questions to the other side to gain genuine understanding of the views and experiences of people on the other side.
- How Can We Contribute Exercise – Everyone fills out an action grid handout and then pairs up with someone of the other color to share one action step with the whole group. The question: What can each of us do individually, what can our side do, and what might both sides do together to promote better understanding of differences and search for common ground?
Summary
Goals
- To delve into a single issue where citizens differ, and learn how each other sees the problem
- To delineate areas of common ground and points of agreement
- To learn something that might be helpful to others in our community and the nation
The Braver Angels Common Ground Workshop brings together equal numbers Conservatives and Liberals – Reds and Blues (4-8 of each) – for a deep dive into a problem, such as addressing climate change, electoral reform or abortion. Together participants talk about their connection to the issue and their opinion on solutions. By the end of the 3.5 hour online event they have come up with jointly and unanimously held Points of Agreements on values, concerns and policies. (A longer in-person version is also available.)
The team for the workshop includes 2 trained moderators, potentially 2 additional Small-group Facilitators, and 3 Zoom Event Managers who help keep the process moving and make sure all can participate comfortably and be respected in their differences.
The Common Ground workshop is an out-growth of Braver Angels signature Red-Blue workshop and allows participants to go deeper into a single issue. Points of Agreement can be fleshed out at future group meetings, and when possible lead to joint Red-Blue actions such as op-eds, joint speaking and meetings with legislators.
The workshop can include participants who have experienced other Braver Angels workshops, as well as newcomers. Every workshop will ideally have a good number of experienced participants. Observers are also welcome, and do not need to identify their color, or be balanced in numbers.
One optional way to prepare participants for the workshop can be for a Red-Blue pair of organizers to approve fact sheets on the issue that come from sources acceptable to both sides. These materials will not be discussed explicitly in the workshop, but can provide background information to participants as they prepare for the discussion.
After a brief introduction and discussion of ground rules, attendees of Common Ground workshops participate in four exercises:
- Small Red-Blue Groups on how the participants connect personally to the issue — Participants have an opportunity to express what is at the heart of the matter for them. Storytelling is encouraged.
- Red-Blue Dyad Pairs explore where each stand on policies to address the issue – Participants share how what solutions they support. Their partner is encouraged to ask a question of curiosity to further understand how they are thinking about the problem.
- Common Ground Exercise – Separate groups of Reds and Blues meet to come up with a list of Values, Concerns and Policies on the issue, that they believe they and the other side could support. Upon returning to the full group, the lists are shared. Any item that does not receive unanimous support from everyone in the workshop, is eliminated.
- Further Exploration of Points of Agreement – In a mixed Red-Blue group, participants have a chance to further explore points that did not receive support. Some new points are then returned to the group for further testing of consensus. The combined list of values, concerns and policies that are unanimously accepted become the Points of Agreement
- Action Steps – Participants briefly discuss how they might want to continue to work together to discuss how to address the issue, and to promote the Points of Agreement.
Summary
Goals
- Insight into why family differences over politics are uniquely challenging.
- Recognition of common roles that family members play in political conversations (for example, the Gladiator, the Defender, and the Sniper)
- Strategies and skills for handling family political differences in a constructive way.
Family relationships are becoming casualties of our toxic polarized environment. Family members are having nasty political arguments, avoiding each other, or even cutting off lifetime relationships. If you want to preserve important family bonds while still being true to your values and political beliefs, this workshop is for you!
Although the focus is on family relationships, you can use strategies in this workshop with any loved one. You’ll laugh and have some fun in this workshop—it won’t be all serious. After all, we all come from quirky families
The Families and Politics workshop requires participants to complete a 40-minute interactive course online before taking part in a group session that runs approximately 2 hours long.
Summary
The Skills for Conversations about Public Policy and Race Workshop teaches skills for having more productive conversations about contentious policy issues related to race, such as affirmative action, policing, removing statues, and reparations.
The workshop also helps conservatives and liberals understand core values and principles of those who differ from them on public policy issues connected to race in America.
Workshop Goals:
- To become better at listening to people who have differing views on race and public policy, so they feel heard; and
- More skilled in expressing views in a way that the other person can hear you.
- More able to see common ground when it is present.
- More confident that you can search for solutions with people of all races, including those who disagree with you.
The workshop is for anyone who:
- Wants to learn to communicate more effectively about race and public policy with people who differ from them politically
- Believe in the equal worth and dignity of persons of all races
- Are prepared to listen, learn, and practice skills rather than criticize, instruct, or try to enlighten participants with different views
- Welcome and Orientation
- Four Strategies
- iLAPP Skills Practice
- Invite
- Listen
- Acknowledge/Agree
- Pivot
- Perspective
- Handling Difficult Moments
- Checkout and Evaluation
Nowadays there are many kinds of workshops dealing with race. Given the Braver Angels focus on divisions over public policy and our principle of not teaching people how they should think about political issues, it’s important to be clear what this workshop does not offer.
It is not:
- A personal encounter between people of different races (the Braver Angels 1:1 conversations offer this)
- An in-depth discussion of race relations and racial identity in America
- An opportunity to explore participants’ attitudes towards people of other races
Because the red/blue divide makes it hard for Americans of all races to reason together and find common ground on important policy issues related to race. This political divide exists within and across all ethnic and cultural communities, and it’s something that Braver Angels is uniquely positioned to help address. This skills workshop is one of what we hope will be a larger menu of offerings on the topic.
The workshop is a total of 3-hours
The workshop can either be On-line or In-Person
Summary
To reflect America in our offerings, these workshops support communities of faith in progressing the mission of Braver Angels.
Faith-Sponsored Workshops (FSW) are Braver Angels workshops that include an additional opening and closing that is specific to the faith tradition, led by the faith organization that is hosting the workshop. Faith-Sponsored Workshops require the faith-organization’s host to be actively involved in planning and leading both the opening and closing activities, which can include a faith-based rationale, prayer, and/or other practices. The core Braver Angels workshop materials are unchanged.
Braver Angels plans to offer Faith-Sponsored Workshops for a variety of faith traditions in the near future. These workshops will bring depolarizing skills and experiences to your faith organizations. The first Faith-Sponsored Workshops are focused on the Christian faith.
Goals
- To learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically
- To have a sense of satisfaction about how you conveyed your own perspective, feelings, and experiences
- To discover some common ground, if it’s there
Summary
Goals
- Learn new strategies for handling the challenge of being a political minority in a mostly liberal environment.
- Develop new skills for communicating conservatives values and beliefs in a way that others might hear.
- Feel more confident as a conservative in environments where everyone else is trying to make you blue.
Being Red in a Blue Environment is a new skills workshop where participants learn safe and effective ways to communicate conservative values and beliefs in environments where liberal ideas are assumed to be correct.
The idea for the workshop came from conversations with individuals who said they are looking for safe and effective ways to communicate their conservative values and beliefs in environments where liberal ideas are assumed to be correct—and where conservative people may be seen as ignorant, misguided, or even immoral. Although there will be examples of the challenges you may face with liberals in your world, this will be a “no whining” zone. We will focus on the question, “What can I do?” rather than “Aren’t they awful?”
This free online workshop is for political conservatives who are surrounded by liberals in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community.
Summary
Goals
- Learn new strategies for handling the challenge of being a political minority in a mostly conservative environment.
- Develop new skills for communicating liberal values and beliefs in a way that others might hear.
- Feel more confident as a liberal in environments where everyone else is trying to make you red.
Being Blue in a Red Environment is a new skills workshop where participants learn safe and effective ways to communicate liberal values and beliefs in environments where conservative ideas are assumed to be correct.
The idea for the workshop came from conversations with individuals who said they are looking for safe and effective ways to communicate their liberal values and beliefs in environments where conservative ideas are assumed to be correct—and where more liberal people may be seen as ignorant, misguided, or even immoral. Although there will be examples of the challenges you may face with conservatives in your world, this will be a “no whining” zone. We will focus on the question, “What can I do?” rather than “Aren’t they awful?”
This free workshop is for political progressives, liberals or any blue-leaning individuals who are surrounded by conservatives in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community.
This workshop is 3-hours long, either On-Line or In-Person.