Living in a Polarized World: Skills for Bridging the Divide
A joint project between Illuman of Illinois and Illinois Braver Angels
Saturday, March 4 (via zoom)
9:30am – 11:45am CST
Free of charge
Politics, vaccines, climate change, gun control, abortion, religion, racism, sexual orientation, are all “hot button” topics that dominate and divide our national political dialogue. In our current polarized environment, many men avoid or dread conversations with friends or family members whose beliefs and opinions 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, anger, and the loss of relationships.
As agents of transformation and change who embrace forgiveness and radical belonging, what is our role when interacting with those who hold beliefs that are not our own and how do we help bridge the divide?
This online workshop will teach skills for having respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship. It will also give men a safe environment to practice these skills. We will begin by setting the experience in the appropriate spiritual context.
After registration, participants will gain access to a 40-minute eLearning course which must be taken prior the workshop.
To maximize participation, we are happy to bring this workshop to you at no charge. Please use this link to be taken to the Eventbrite registration page.
Co-Trainers/Moderators: Chuck Stone and Dean Sutton of Braver Angels (www.braverangels.org)
Chuck Stone is the Braver Angels State Co-coordinator for Illinois and adjunct faculty at DePaul University School for Continuing and Professional Studies. Retired from a sole practitioner law practice in Chicago, Chuck has taught undergraduates at DePaul University for 30 years, most frequently teaching a course in critical thinking. He has recruited and founded two Braver Angels Alliances of Reds and Blues within Illinois as well as a steering committee for its Braver Politics initiative.
Dean Sutton is a retired attorney. He began his legal career as a Legal Aid attorney for 7 years before entering private practice. He ended his career after leaving private practice by volunteering at Legal Aid for 4 years. Dean has been trained in conflict resolution, doing coaching, mediation, and arbitrations. He is a member of the Conflict Transformational Team for the United Methodist Regional Conference assisting local parishes in Illinois. Along with being a moderator for Braver Angels, Dean is a member of the Illinois Alliance. Braver Angels is a citizens' organization uniting red and blue Americans in a working alliance to depolarize America.