‘Braver Angels’ Visits Orcutt To Take On Political Divide & Host Civil Discourse
ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) - A non-profit called ‘Braver Angels’ hosted a roundtable discussion at the oasis center in Orcutt this evening.
The non-profit is aimed at bridging the partisan divide and strengthening the democratic republic.
This event is part of ‘Braver Angels' efforts as the largest nationwide, grassroots organization of volunteers dedicated to depolarizing political conversations.
“In 2016, two people came together, a conservative and a liberal,” says Kate Christensen, event organizer with Braver Angels. “And they decided we have to do something. What if we brought people together?”
Tuesday evening’s workshop was designed to teach skills for constructive dialogue and finding accurate disagreement among individuals with differing views.
“I liked how they talked about acknowledging where someone's coming from, their motivation for how they feel, because there's always a reason,” says Cindy Orr, who lives in Nipomo.
The workshop demonstrated practical skills for depolarizing discussions.
“I like that they started with a little bit of self-reflection, to get an idea of our own feelings and thoughts, and how they might interfere with our communicating,” says Orr.
Since its founding in 2016, Braver Angels has grown to more than 15,000 members, making it the nation's largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement working to bridge political divides.
“It started with that first workshop where they brought people together and people became fast friends, and they started forming a team,” says Christensen.
Event organizers say it is possible to disagree on the facts surrounding a given situation, and still shake hands at the end of the conversation remaining friends or family.
“I remember when people didn't talk about politics until it was time for a big presidential election,” says Christensen. “It wasn't a thing.”
The Braver Angels board of directors and advisory council include state governors, representatives from congress and leadership from several universities and national organizations, all advocating for a revival of civil discourse.
“It really does depend on the citizens, not the people who are in Washington,” says Orr. “It really depends on us. And if we don't get active, nothing's going to change.”
Further information about the organization and its initiatives is available at braverangels.org.
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