Braver Partners
Community Partners
The Challenge
Partisan political conflict is tearing the country apart. Many Americans have shifted from simply disagreeing on issues to holding in bitter contempt those with differing views.
The result? Divided communities, broken relationships, and paralysis at all levels of government.
How has your community been impacted by toxic polarization?
Some community organizations — even where members enjoy strong, long-standing bonds — are finding they are not immune to rising internal tensions based on opposing political views. Â
Some community organizations have fared will internally, but seek greater expertise and tools to help bring healing to divided communities beyond their doors. Â
While working together for the betterment of society, members of some civic organizations struggle with conflicts over issues like Covid protocols, school board policies, and other local issues. Many groups have a commitment to barring partisan political discussions between members, leaving leaders uncertain about how to address growing divisions. Other groups are eager to confront the increasingly inescapable polarization occuring across the country, but wonder how to do so constructively.Â
Despite deeply-held shared values and beliefs, some religious congregations, have begun to experience discord. Members feel an urgency around social issues and policies, and strong personal convictions about how to solve critical problems the country faces. Striving to live out their faith in this new environment, many eager to maintain congregational cohesion, they are looking for ways to draw from their spiritual teachings to help heal the country.
The Opportunity
Is your organization searching for a proven approach to humane, respectful engagement across divergent viewpoints?
Do your leaders and members want to learn ways to manage tension constructively as it emerges?Â
Do they want to develop an approach to bridge-building that can be modeled and shared beyond your doors?Â
Braver Angels can help you develop the capacity to bring healing to relationships broken by political division. When community organizations join our network of Community Partners, they gain the tools, resources and support they need to be part of the solution to this national crisis.Â
HOW IT WORKS
The Community Partners Team will help you choose from a broad range of options for involvement, drawing from your group’s own style and objectives, pacing your activities and events to fit within your own calendar, selecting from the various Braver Angels offerings available for group participation.
WHO IT’S FOR
- Your organization may be at an exploratory level, with some members unsure about engaging in bridge-building work around political differences. You might simply introduce your members to Braver Angels’ mission and programs, provide information, and direct them to the website for more. Maybe you’ll want to invite a Braver Angels leader to come in to speak and answer their questions.
- Your group may want a more interactive experience, and want to get involved at the engagement level. Your group is on board for hosting a series events, like our workshops, debates, and skills training sessions. You might organize members to attend one of our national Zoom events and gather for discussion afterwards. You may want to meet your local Braver Angels field leaders, and attend a Braver Angels event in your community. Or you can have a trained Braver Angels moderator come in to conduct a session!
- Maybe your group — or a core group within it — wants to dive deeper and work with us to co-design a collaboration meant to develop your organization’s capacity as a depolarization resource. Some members may become interested in pursing our Community Leader Program training. We can work together to co-create a project weaving your group’s unique traditions, insight, and strengths, with Braver Angels’ approach, expertise and experience.
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ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS DOING THIS WORK?
As a Braver Angels Community Partner, you join an exciting nationwide network of local community organizations like yours. You’ll have opportunities to share experiences with a network of peers, supporting each other in proactively facing the challenge of toxic political polarization, each bringing their own wisdom and abilities to our shared mission of healing the divide in this country..
What Does It Mean To Be
A Braver Angels Community Partner?
- Community Partners work with our team to develop an individualized plan for partnering, based on your organization’s own culture, goals, and capacity.
- Your leaders receive assistance, ideas, and support from the Community Partners Team, and are provided a menu of options for working with Braver Angels.
- Partnering options offer a wide range of engagement levels, from having our speakers come in, to taking workshops and trainings, to co-designing a collaborative project.
- Our partners have access to Braver Angels materials, training, resources, and support.
- Our partners are introduced to Braver Angels leaders in their area.
- Beyond the requirement that at least one of your members joins Braver Angels (@$12/yr), there is no cost to joining our network of partners. Â
- Community Partners are welcome to publicize their partnership with Braver Angels, and will be listed on our website as part of our network.Â
Want to find out more?
Contact us at communitypartners@braverangels.org.
We look forward to hearing from you!