CONVERSATION

ORGANIZATIONS ON 

CROSS-PARTY CONVERSATION

The organizations below are working to bring Americans together, to put aside party/political differences and focus on what unites us, not divides us. 

Braver Angels: Excerpt from website: Our country is more divided than ever, with too many of us isolated from those who hold different views. This division damages our communities, disrupts our families, and stops us from working together for the common good. We believe our nation can survive and thrive for every American who contributes to the effort. Where we go from here is up to us. This is the driving force that fuels our mission: Bringing Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.

• Just Curious: Check out their Three Quick Tips for Braver Conversations easy-read guide

• Improve Your Skills: Take a 40-minute e-Course to learn how to have more constructive conversations with folks you disagree with

• Have a 1:1 Conversation: Schedule a structured conversation in a safe environment with someone from the other side of the political spectrum

Builders Movement: Excerpt from website: If enough people adopt a Builders Mindset, we can replace our toxic “us vs. them” culture with one of curiosity, compassion, courage, and creative innovation. It won’t be easy. The incentives in our media, social algorithms, and politics reward and amplify the conflict entrepreneurs working overtime to divide, diminish, and destroy. Our approach is to reach and teach people at scale with powerful content, equip them with new skills and innovative tools, and mobilize the growing Builders movement with grassroots civic programs to hold political leaders accountable for being Builders.

• Learn More: Check out their toolkits and online courses to fight polarization in our country

• Are You a Teacher?: Check out their high school classroom toolkit to help foster constructive conversations in the classroom

• Three Steps to Take Action: Follow their three-step guide to take action to fight the "us vs them" mindset

Conversation.us: Excerpt from website: Conversation.us is the national nonpartisan campaign to bridge political, social, and cultural divides in America. Backed by the 500+ member organizations of the #ListenFirst Coalition, Conversation.us hosts the annual National Week of Conversation and inspires Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs to turn down the heat and find a way forward together.

• Many Options: Check out their Take Action page, which includes a list of activities/actions recommended from a number of different organiziations, including reading unbiased news, joining/hosting a conversation, books, podcasts, films, skills building, and how to inspire politicians to do better

Crossing Party Lines (CPL): Excerpt from website: We exist to equip you, and all individuals, to unlock curiosity about differing viewpoints through conversation and community building. Our vision is one of communities where social connections and differing viewpoints flourish and are recognized as essential for healthy relationships. Our name suggests that we are about politics.  As Hannah Arendt said, politics is the interaction of “free and equal citizens” in society.  We’re here to help us all interact civilly and respectfully so our democracy can thrive, our communities can flourish, our families can be healthy. In these polarized times, we can all use some help remembering how to talk across differences — across party lines.  We offer workshops teaching the skills that lead to success, regular conversations where you can hone those skills with people from all around the country, and experiences that illustrate just how nuanced the issues are today and how much each and every one of has to contribute.

• Watch this Video: This 3-minute video gives a short introduction to CPL's work.

• Join an Event: Find an event, including virtual workshops, dialogues, book clubs, etc. or check out a local chapter for in-person events

• Listen to the Podcast: Check out CPL's podcast, The Conversation, which discusses big issues and Americans' views from all political perspectives 

• Take a Course: Sign up for a free online course 

• Volunteer: Reach out to CPL to become a volunteer

Interfaith America (Faith-Based): Excerpt from the website: Interfaith America was founded in 2002 based on the idea that religious difference should serve as a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. Since that time, Interfaith America has evolved from a small Chicago-based nonprofit to the nation’s premier interfaith organization.

• Faith Bridging Divides: Interfaith America focuses on uniting different faith communities to combat polarization. Check out their news, media, and resources here

• Team Up: Watch videos and learn more about the Team Up Project to combat polarization

• Build Your Skills: Check out their BridgeBuilder Basics to build your skills to "cross lines of difference and take common action for the common good."

Matthew 5:9 Fellowship (Faith-Based): The Matthew 5:9 Fellowship supports evangelical Christian leaders and pastors in shepherding their communities to live out the Gospel and place their identity in Jesus Christ above partisanship and societal divisions. The Fellowship connects leaders grappling with division in the US and supports them to speak and act effectively to build a future in which all human beings are treated as image-bearers of God regardless of earthly divisions – in their churches, their communities, and beyond.

• Resources: Check out their resources for bridging divides in America. 

• Videos: Watch one of their videos about bridging divides

National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI): Excerpt from website: National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI), is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves to promote public deliberation about difficult public issues. Its activities include publishing the issue guides and other materials used by local forum groups, encouraging collaboration among forum sponsors, and sharing information about current activities in the network. We also offer training opportunities and resources for moderating forums based on the National Issue Forums framework of deliberation. Moderators and conveners find our resources indispensable in organizing, leading, and advertising their forums for public deliberation. We also provide guidelines for those who wish to frame their own issues.

Examples of What You Can Do Now: 

• Improve Skills: Learn how to moderate a deliberative forum through these guides

• Learn About Issues: Check out NIFI's issue guides

(Re)Union Project (Faith-Based): Excerpt from website: Church, we have a problem. We are at a critical crossroads. We are complicit in a nation gone awry, failing to offer an alternative to the rising intensity of sectarianism and threats of political violence. We’ve been cornered into thinking we must choose 1 of 2 bad options: join in with the angry choruses or hide and stay silent. And given the levels of polarization we see, it’s easy to assume the problem is political. Or worse, the problem is “them”?  But what if we approached this problem as a spiritual one?

• Elephants In the Room: Read The Elephants in the Room--the most common (sometimes uncomfortable) questions asked about this Christian unity campaign 

• Sign the Pledge: Sign the Pledge for Christian Unity. From the website: "We acknowledge that our nation faces a future fraught with division, polarization, false rhetoric, and hostility. We also recognize that the American Church is polarized at levels that challenge our witness and ability to lead the way in healing these divides. Despite these challenges, we believe there’s an opportunity to come together, as ONE CHURCH, to heal the divides that threaten the strength of our relationships, the health of our congregations, and the vitality of our communities."

Search for Common Ground - USA: Excerpt from website: We envision an America where we engage in collaboration across differences to address our greatest challenges, and where we can all belong and thrive. Most Americans want to overcome the divisions we face in our society. Disagreement is an opportunity to transform conflict into cooperation on our daily and most pernicious problems. It takes courage. And everyone can do it.

• Host a 'Love Anyway Feast': Host a dinner to bring folks together, build bridges, and break barriers

• Read 50 Things We Can Do: Read Search's 50 Things Anyone Can Do to Make Us Stronger guide. (Many tips and orgs are also listed on this website!)

• Peacemaker Toolkit: Download the Peacemakers Toolkit to learn how you can help build peace in your local community

Team Up Project: The Team Up Project is invested in the power of connection to bridge divides, to cultivate cooperation across differences, and to create a brighter future for our communities and our nation. 10,000 people; 1,000 events; 300 communities

• Build Your Skills: First take a quiz and learn about your bridge building skills, then improve your skills through a host of resources (partner Interfaith America link)

• Use Guides to Build Bridges: Check out guides to help build bridges in your community written by different partner organizations, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA, etc. 

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS:

Hold a dialogue event in your home at Living Room Conversations; take a pledge to listen first to understand at the Listen First Project; learn how to argue more productively at The Better Arguments Project; "borrow" a human book at the Human Library, and more... 

Are we missing an organization doing great work? Please let us know!