Real People in Real Time Having Real Conversations in an Effort to Gain Understanding and Build Bridges

This online event is part 1 in our 2023 virtual Documentary Discussion series that highlights insidious policies and practices that have caused systemic harm to Black Americans and other people of color. Conversations are led by members of the Angels of Color Caucus with a purposeful intent to promote mutual understanding and healing the racial divide.

If you have questions or concerns about any of our offerings, we invite you to share them with us. We would love to help you make a well-informed decision about the suitability of our offerings for you. Contact person: Janelle Burke, Red Co-chair Angels of Color Caucus and Snohomish County Alliance

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org 

Register here.

Seattle has the third largest homeless population in the country, and tent/RV encampments are common sights. Encampments have a broad impact on neighbors, nearby business owners and their customers, users of public parks, and of course, the homeless residents themselves. 

What are your thoughts on the topic? Come share your observations and listen to what others have to say. This will be a discussion fashioned after the "Living Room Conversations" format - a brief introduction to the topic followed by an open discussion with participants sharing their views while respectfully listening to the opinions and experience of others.

Join us via Zoom with the following link: https://braverangels-org.zoom.us/j/86736560582?pwd=dEJvQ0tRTVN6OVlRamtCVmtDbjhqdz09 

Hope to see you then!

Doug Roof and Rachel Weinstein will be hosting a public meeting to gauge interest in forming an alliance in Columbia River Gorge. If you live locally please join them. Or if you know someone in that area, please invite them to join.  

This is an in-person event.

Venue: Crosscut Cafe 1252 Wind River Hwy, Carson, WA 98610

A welcome social for new Braver Angels and potential Braver Angels.

Have you ever told someone about Braver Angels and they seem pretty interested until you suggest a 4-hour workshop on a Saturday? Well, we have just the thing…

Join us for an informal meet and greet and an opportunity to ask questions about Braver Angels. We will open with a short intro about Braver Angels and then introductions from attendees, followed by some social time that might include: ice breakers, break-out rooms, discussing a general topic, or Q&A.

Please join us in welcoming new members and invite a friend. Note that we shifted this month's Welcome Social to Monday the 13th so we'll not interfere with any Valentines Day plans on the 14th. We'll be back to 2nd Tuesdays in April.

Click here to sign up now!

Real People in Real Time Having Real Conversations in an Effort to Gain Understanding and Build Bridges.

This is part 2 in our 2023 virtual Documentary Discussion series that highlights insidious policies and practices that have caused systemic harm to Black Americans and other people of color. Conversations are led by members of the Angels of Color Caucus with a purposeful intent to promote mutual understanding and healing the racial divide.

If you have questions or concerns about any of our offerings that we have publicized, we invite you to share them with us. We would love to help you make a well-informed decision about the suitability of our offerings for you. Contact person: Janelle Burke, Red Co-chair Angels of Color Caucus and Snohomish County Alliance

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org 

Register here.

Creating stronger communities through meaningful conversations

Join Snohomish County Councilmembers Jared Mead (D) and Nate Nehring (R) for community conversations addressing division in our politics and discussing community issues. Braver Angels and several local organizations have partnered to make this happen.

There will be multiple dates and venues. This event will be held in Millcreek, WA. Venue: to be announced.

This is an in-person event, organized by Angela Ewert and Russell Wiitta

Register here.

A welcome social for new Braver Angels and potential Braver Angels.

Have you ever told someone about Braver Angels and they seem pretty interested until you suggest a 4-hour workshop on a Saturday? Well, we have just the thing…

Join us for an informal meet and greet and an opportunity to ask questions about Braver Angels. We will open with a short intro about Braver Angels and then introductions from attendees, followed by some social time that might include: ice breakers, break-out rooms, discussing a general topic, or Q&A.

Please join us in welcoming new members and invite a friend.

Click here to sign up now!

This is part 4 in our 2023 virtual Documentary Discussion series that highlights insidious policies and practices that have caused systemic harm to Black Americans and other people of color. Conversations led by members of the Braver Angels of Color and Braver Angels Film Club members, with a purposeful intent to promote mutual understanding and healing the racial divide.  

If you have questions or concerns about any of our offerings that we have publicized, we invite you to share them with us. We would love to help you make a well-informed decision about the suitability of our offerings for you. Contact person: Janelle Burke, Red Co-chair Angels of Color Caucus and Snohomish County Alliance

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org 

Register here.

What do you feel is the proper role of the US on the world stage? And more specifically, what are your thoughts on our role in the war in Ukraine? Is it time to lessen our involvement? Or do we continue our support, and for how long and to what extent?

Join us for an open sharing of views on American foreign policy.

Questions? Contact John Moran at jmoran@braverangels.org 

Register here.

As we continue building our brand as the Braver Angels of Color Caucus through the Snohomish County Alliance, we can provide input in a "Reflect America Project" specific to "We the People's Project." This is a BA National project.

You are invited to join us for our May 6th meeting to discuss our input to Braver Angels National. Interviewing will be happening on this topic in break-out rooms of 3-4 individuals. We will still hold regular meetings for those not interested in the project.

For this workgroup, we seek blue-collar/working-class Americans willing to discuss the decision to join, not to join, and what could improve Braver Angels or pique the interest of the grassroots community and working-class citizens.

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org   

Register here.

Our May event is a follow-up and deeper dive into our April 23rd event, "Is Race a Motivator or an Excuse." This discussion is in a Workshop format and is lightly structured to allow respectful emoting and room for unpacking the issues through Self-Compassion and Self-Belief. All are welcome to attend.

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org   

Register here.

An information session for parents interested in learning more about the BA Kids Club. What it is, the curriculum used, and desired outcomes. This is your time as parents to provide input and ask questions. 

There is no political labeling or agenda with the children. If that is what you are interested in, this is not the club for your children. 

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org   

Register here.

Join us during our monthly meet and greet and information sessions for newcomers to Braver Angels interested in our new workshop series, "Cultivating Compassion." As well as our main activities and offerings are focused on healing the racial divide and having deep conversations with People of Color and other ethnic minorities.

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org   

Register here.

Creating stronger communities through meaningful conversations

Join Snohomish County Councilmembers Jared Mead (D) and Nate Nehring (R) for community conversations addressing division in our politics and discussing community issues. Braver Angels and several local organizations have partnered to make this happen.

There will be multiple dates and venues. This event will be held in Arlington, WA. 

Arlington Boys and Girls Club

18153 59th Ave NE

Arlington, WA 98223

This is an in-person event, organized by Angela Ewert and Russell Wiitta

Register here.

Join us for a free, intensive, online workshop that brings together Red (conservative or Republican-leaning) and Blue (liberal or Democratic-leaning) citizens for moderated activities and structured discussions that reduce stereotyped thinking, clarify disagreements, build relationships and find common ground through listening and learning rather than declaring and debating.

Who can attend? Anyone interested in developing a deeper understanding of, and connection with, people whose political beliefs differ from their own is welcome. This workshop is presented by the Central/Eastern Washington Alliance of Braver Angels and priority will be given to residents of Washington State.

Questions? Contact Yvonne Boyd at yboyd@braverangels.org

For more details, and to register, click here.

Oregon decriminalized drug use in 2021. Now in 2023 some are questioning the wisdom of that decision. Here in Washington lawmakers were unable to agree on a compromise bill covering penalties for drug possession, and so by default we may be headed down the same path as Oregon.

Is drug abuse and addiction best managed by society as a social/medical problem, or a criminal one? Which approach is better for the community? And which gives the drug abuser a better shot at staying clean?

We hope you can come join the discussion.

Questions? Contact John Moran at jmoran@braverangels.org 

Register here.

Join us for a transformative workshop on recognizing and acknowledging conflicting emotions in racial healing and political depolarization. This workshop will provide practical skills for navigating complex emotions related to these challenging issues.

In addition, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of polarization and racism on individuals and communities and learn how to work toward healing and reconciliation.

Questions? Contact Janelle Burke at jburke@braverangels.org   

Register here.

A welcome social for new Braver Angels and potential Braver Angels.

Have you ever told someone about Braver Angels and they seem pretty interested until you suggest a 4-hour workshop on a Saturday? Well, we have just the thing…

Join us for an informal meet and greet and an opportunity to ask questions about Braver Angels. We will open with a short intro about Braver Angels and then introductions from attendees, followed by some social time that might include: ice breakers, break-out rooms, discussing a general topic, or Q&A.

Please join us in welcoming new members and invite a friend.

Click here to sign up now!

We want to call your attention to this National meeting about a local subject. 

"Seattle is Dying" is a 60-minute news documentary produced by KOMO-TV in 2019. It maintains that Seattle's homelessness and crime issues are spurred by drug addiction, and advocates for intervention, including jail time during which drug treatment is administered. It holds up as a model Rhode Island's prison- and community-based Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

Be sure to watch the film before attending the discussion. Watch Seattle is Dying for free here. 

Questions? Contact Ivan Kaisan at seamountain.m115@gmail.com

Register here.

The border crisis raises many difficult questions. Here are just a few:

• How open (or closed) should our borders be?

• Should undocumented immigrants be treated the same as immigrants who sometimes wait years for legal status?

• Does poverty qualify one as a refugee?

• Is our immigration system racist?

• How much immigration can we absorb?

Join us on Zoom to discuss these issues.

Questions? Contact John Moran at jmoran@braverangels.org  

Register here.

The Braver Angels program is not about changing minds. Rather, we are about opening up genuine curiosity, meaningful dialog, and the possibilities of moving to reasonable compromise.

On Monday, July 31st, the Columbia Gorge Alliance invites you to come talk with us at the Stevenson Community Library (120 NW Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, WA) at 5:30PM. We'll present some options on how this new Alliance might operate and what we hope to accomplish. We'll take questions and provide enough information for you to determine whether you want to be involved with Braver Angels beyond this meeting. And, we'll engage in a brief Braver Angels exercise to demonstrate the power of meaningful public policy discussion.

if you are at least a little curious about Braver Angels, join us! If you are not available on July 31st, contact us and get on our mailing list for future meetings.  

Contact information is found here. 

A welcome social for new Braver Angels and potential Braver Angels.

Have you ever told someone about Braver Angels and they seem pretty interested until you suggest a 4-hour workshop on a Saturday? Well, we have just the thing…

Join us for an informal meet and greet and an opportunity to ask questions about Braver Angels. We will open with a short intro about Braver Angels and then introductions from attendees, followed by some social time that might include: ice breakers, break-out rooms, discussing a general topic, or Q&A.

Please join us in welcoming new members and invite a friend.

Click here to sign up now!

The border crisis raises many difficult questions, such as 

• How open (or closed) should our borders be?

• Should poverty qualify one for asylum?

• How much immigration can we absorb?

In June we held an engaging discussion, but by the end of the evening it was clear we had barely scratched the surface.  In response to suggestions from participants, we are including a suggested reading list this time around to allow for a more informed discussion. Here are three suggested sources for review prior to this month's meeting:

• ProCon.org  - Provides a comprehensive history of our immigration laws

• American Immigration Council - A wealth of information on many aspects of immigration 

• foreignaffairs.com - Origins of the Border Crisis, Present status of the border situation, failures of the asylum system, and suggestions for reform

Join us on Zoom to discuss these issues.

Questions? Contact John Moran at jmoran@braverangels.org  

Register here.

Much of today's polarization is driven by how we talk with like-minded people about those on the other side. Too often, we stereotype, dismiss, or ridicule our fellow citizens who support the other political party, its leaders, and its policies. 

In this free online workshop participants will learn how to be more aware of their own "inner polarizer" and how to constructively intervene in polarizing social conversations. 

This is a national workshop, co-sponsored by Washington State Braver Angels

Register, and register your group!

Register here.

Creating stronger communities through meaningful conversations

Join Snohomish County Councilmembers Nate Nehring (R) and Jared Mead (D) for community conversations addressing division in our politics and discussing community issues. Braver Angels and several local organizations have partnered to make this happen.

There will be multiple dates and venues. This event will be held in Lynnwood, WA. 

Lynnwood Library

19200 44th Ave W

Lynnwood, WA 98036

To RSVP send an email to angela.ewert@snoco.org   

A welcome social for new Braver Angels and potential Braver Angels.

Have you ever told someone about Braver Angels and they seem pretty interested until you suggest a 4-hour workshop on a Saturday? Well, we have just the thing…

Join us for an informal meet and greet and an opportunity to ask questions about Braver Angels. We will open with a short intro about Braver Angels and then introductions from attendees, followed by some social time that might include: ice breakers, break-out rooms, discussing a general topic, or Q&A.

Please join us in welcoming new members and invite a friend.

Click here to sign up now!

One of our volunteers proposed a new idea for Braver Angels, and Washington State is testing it out. The idea is that Braver Angels needs a new pledge - the "Don't be a Jerk" pledge. 

Basically, taking the pledge means that you pledge to have respectful conversations, to avoid stereotyping and exaggeration. That's kind of standard Braver Angels lingo, but when you summarize it as a pledge saying, "Don't be a jerk" that's when some controversy starts.

Some advantages of having the pledge may be: 

• to provide a mid-level commitment to the Braver Angels way - not everyone wants to be an organizer

• to track how many people are committed to trying to have respectful conversations

• to get attention for Braver Angles work. You have to admit that the phrase "don't be a jerk" got your attention.

But there may be disadvantages. For example: 

• people might think that Braver Angels is accusing others of being jerks

• people might think Braver Angels is not treating the issue of respectful conversation seriously enough

• people might think Braver Angels is getting too preachy. Does saying that we are trying not to be jerks imply that we don't want other to be jerks?

This name of this pledge is inspired by the Braver Angels newsletter article that mentioned "At Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon, communication professor Mark Urista [has] an unwritten rule: Don't be a jerk." But it turns out that the phrase "Don't be a Jerk" has come into common usage. Just try Googling "Don't be a Jerk"

What are your thoughts on the topic? This focus group will shape our decision making. We'll discuss questions like:

• What was your first impression when you heard about the 'Don't be a Jerk" pledge?

• Would a different name for the pledge be more effective or less effective?

• Should Braver Angels suggest taking any kind of pledge?

This will be a discussion fashioned after the "Living Room Conversations" format - a brief introduction to the topic followed by an open discussion with participants sharing their views while respectfully listening to the opinions and experience of others.

Join us via Zoom. Register here.

The topic for this month's discussion meeting will be the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

What are your thoughts on the origins of the present hostilities: 

• Could the violence have been prevented? 

• What will the future hold -- how will the present conflict end? 

• Is a peaceful path forward in the long term even possible?

Join us Zoom to discuss these issues. 

If you are interested in some pre-discussion reading, the link below takes you to a concise history going back to 1947, with links to additional articles for more detail.

Council on Foreign Relations: Background of Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Questions? Contact John Moran at jmoran@braverangels.org

Register here.

The Columbia Gorge Alliance of Braver Angels will meet again.

Tuesday, November 7, 5:30-7:00PM

The Dalles Library

722 Court Street 

The meeting is open to members, to those who have attended other meetings, and to first-timers.

Our agenda will include a discussion of the current situation in the Middle East, as well as a new approach to developing our discussion skills.

Questions? Contact Tom Aspitarte at taspitarte@braverangels.org or Doug Roof at droof@braverangels.org 

This month's Central/Eastern Alliance meeting includes a conversation with Greg Smith, a real Braver Angels pioneer. 

Those who watched the documentary of the first workshop of Braver Angels held in Ohio in 2017 will recognize Greg as one of two participants - one a Christian (R), one a Muslim (B) - who became fast friends in the course of the event. To be part of this special evening on November 15th, attendees are asked to first watch a recent documentary of that 2017 event , "Reuniting America", before joining the meeting.  

Register to attend the program today.

David Brooks is an American conservative political and cultural commentator who writes for The New York Times. His commentary frequently includes issues of importance to Brave Angels. He has written that "Politics is no longer mainly about disagreeing on issues. It's about being in entirely separate conversations. The Venn diagram is dead. There's no overlapping area." 

Recently, Brooks authored a new book "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen" where he digs into the essential conversations and questions of any community or relationship: how do we feel seen?

On November 20, Seattle Arts & Lectures presents David Brooks with Q&A by Timothy Egan. Join them for a lively discussion. Note this event allows in-person or digital access.

Register here.

Missouri vs. Biden

The Berkeley/Oakland/San Francisco Alliance will be discussing a critical topic of our time and Washington Braver Angels are welcome to attend. We will be addressing:

• Under what conditions should the government have the right to threaten action if social media does not comply with its request to withhold information that it thinks is not in the public good? To use private agencies to impose its decrees?

• Under what conditions, if any, can we look to the government to assist in the moderation of lies in civil society?Who should be responsible for defining what the truth is? When confronted with what you, as an individual, believe are lies, what is your responsibility as a citizen? At what point is it acceptable to silence your enemies?

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the free acts of speech.” –Benjamin Franklin

We will be discussing the Missouri vs. Biden case. Please read this document before the meeting. We will look forward to seeing you on Zoom

Questions? Contact Lani Slonim at lanisplace@gmail.com or Ellen Sears at ellenrsears@gmail.com

Register here.

Our discussion topic this month will be forgiveness.

Public figures, like all of us, do make mistakes. The best laid plans can lead to unintended consequences. And politicians on both sides of the aisle have been caught engaging in behavior that is illegal, or immoral, or both.

When this happens, how often do we hear a public leader accepting responsibility, let alone asking for forgiveness? And in our hyper-polarized society, how often are apologies accepted or even entertained? Is the apology-forgiveness process even possible in the public sphere, or is it just a quaint relic from a bygone, more polite era?

There is no shortage of examples that bring these questions to mind. Here are a couple of recent ones: 

• A Brown University professor's call for "pandemic amnesty" for those whose Covid-related policy decisions were eventually found to be unnecessary, or harmful, is met with a resounding "No." (link)

• A Colorado congresswoman apologizes for inappropriate behavior at a Denver theater, but the public seems disinclined to forgive and forget.  (link)

Join us on Zoom on Tuesday Nov 28th at 7 pm as we use these, and other examples to help us explore the concept of forgiveness just in time for the holidays -- when many of us will be navigating challenging personal relationships. 

Questions or comments? Email them to jmoran@braverangels.org. 

Register here

Creating stronger communities through meaningful conversations

Join Snohomish County Councilmembers Nate Nehring (R) and Jared Mead (D) for community conversations addressing division in our politics and discussing community issues. Braver Angels and several local organizations have partnered to make this happen.

There will be multiple dates and venues. This event will be held in Everett, WA, at the Drewel Administration Building

This is an in-person event, organized by Angela Ewert and Russell Wiitta.

Register here.

We want to call your attention to this online National workshop for political conservatives who are surrounded by liberals in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community. 

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?"

Who can come? Please respect the requirement that this workshop is for red leaning participants only. 

Questions? Contact Paige Swartz at paige@braverangels.org 

Register here.

A welcome social for new Braver Angels and potential Braver Angels.

Have you ever told someone about Braver Angels and they seem pretty interested until you suggest a 4-hour workshop on a Saturday? Well, we have just the thing…

Join us for an informal meet and greet and an opportunity to ask questions about Braver Angels. We will open with a short intro about Braver Angels and then introductions from attendees, followed by some social time that might include: ice breakers, break-out rooms, discussing a general topic, or Q&A.

Please join us in welcoming new members and invite a friend.

Click here to sign up now!

Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted -- twice -- for Donald Trump. When the country could no longer see straight across the political divide, Mónica set out to find what was blinding us and discovered the most eye-opening tool we're not using: our own built-in curiosity.  

We will be discussing Guzman's "I Never Thought of It That Way: How To Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times" and, Monica Guzman will join us for a Q&A for the last 30 minutes!

Monica Guzman is Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, cofounder of The Evergrey, a former columnist at The Seattle Times, a recent fellow at Harvard's Nieman Foundation for Journalism and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

Questions? Contact Europe-Alliance@BraverAngels.org 

Register here.

Should books be banned or censored at schools or public libraries?

Join Braver Angels for a debate on the topic – "Resolved: Don’t ban or censor books at schools or public libraries for patrons sixth grade and older"

Come join us for this free national debate, in which all participants from across the ideological spectrum will have an opportunity to speak and ask their questions. Tell us what you have experienced and what you think.

Questions? Contact debates@BraverAngels.org

Register here.

This free online workshop is for political liberals who are surrounded by conservatives in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community. 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 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?”

Who can come? Please respect the requirement that this workshop is for blue leaning participants only. 

Questions? Contact Brady Young at byoung@BraverAngels.org 

Register here.