​In Eight Habits of Effective Bridge-Builders, Marley Pierce and Simon Greer explore the challenges and rewards of building bridges across ideological, cultural, and social divides. In a polarized world, effective bridge-builders commit to habits like knowing their purpose, listening with curiosity, embracing complexity, and creating constructive contexts for dialogue. They prioritize authentic relationships, transformative problem-solving, and cultivating love and respect for those with differing views. Recognizing that bridge-building requires lifelong practice and comfort with discomfort, they emphasize that this work strengthens communities, fosters understanding, and repairs the fraying fabric of democracy. Read more in the blog post below!

Amidst growing political polarization in the U.S., organizations like Listen First and Braver Angels, both members of NCDD, are leading efforts to bridge divides and foster dialogue. The Listen First Project, founded by Pearce Godwin, emphasizes listening to understand and has grown into a coalition of over 500 organizations promoting social cohesion. Similarly, Braver Angels organizes workshops and events, such as their fishbowl exercises, where individuals from opposing political views engage in thoughtful conversations to uncover common ground. While these efforts face challenges, such as ensuring diversity and overcoming skepticism, they provide actionable strategies for depolarization and highlight the potential for Americans to connect across differences. Read more in the blog post below! 

​Watch a recent discussion, Managing Emotions and Relationships After the Election, where Braver Angels co-founder Dr. Bill Doherty provides invaluable guidance for navigating the intense emotions that often follow an election. Whether you are experiencing the elation of victory or the despair of defeat, Dr. Doherty offers thoughtful insights on coping with these powerful feelings while staying true to your core values. His approach emphasizes the importance of preserving relationships, even amid deep political divides, and finding ways to build bridges with those who hold different perspectives. In these challenging times, his wisdom serves as a crucial reminder of the shared humanity that binds us all, fostering mutual understanding and resilience in our communities. Check out the video below!

From the National Civic League - Political polarization and voter disengagement have highlighted the need for democratic innovations to address modern challenges to democracy. Approaches like citizens’ assemblies and participatory budgeting foster inclusivity, increase political efficacy, and bridge divides by involving citizens directly in decision-making. These innovations enhance democratic legitimacy by promoting transparency, accountability, and mutual understanding through dialogue and deliberation. However, gaps in research on their broader impact call for more evaluation to identify effective practices that strengthen governance and civic engagement, ensuring democracy remains resilient and adaptive. Read more in the blog post below. 

This guide, originally shared by NCDD a few years ago, offers helpful strategies for navigating challenging conversations during the holidays. Political discussions or other hot topics can often become contentious, but these six tips promote meaningful dialogue and understanding. Suggestions include practicing active listening, staying open-minded, and focusing on shared values or personal stories rather than debating facts. By fostering curiosity, seeking common ground, and ending discussions on a positive note, these tips aim to keep holiday gatherings constructive and harmonious despite differing perspectives. Read the blog post below for more.

​Elections mark a transition in democracy, often leaving communities divided and disconnected. Rebuilding and reconnecting after a polarizing election requires personal reflection, meaningful conversations, and intentional dialogue. The four free resources provided by NCDD members, Essential Partners, offer step-by-step guidance to help individuals recover their best selves, engage in trusted conversations, support isolated individuals, and lead group dialogues. By taking these small but powerful steps, we can repair the social fabric and lay the groundwork for healthier discourse and a more vibrant democracy. Read the blog post below and learn more here.

The "Post-Election: Moving Forward Together" Living Room Conversations event on December 3 invites participants to discuss election outcomes in a respectful, open setting. Using a guided format, this conversation focuses on bridging divides, processing election results, and finding common ground despite differing perspectives. The event encourages shared humanity and understanding as participants reflect on moving forward as a nation. Tickets are donation-based, read the blog post below to learn more and register.

A Braver Way Podcast: Braving the unknown: Your election survival guide 

Link: https://braverangels.org/a-braver-way-episode-19/ 

• This link will go live on Monday November 4 at 4pm PST, instead of their usual Tuesday, to give listeners an extra day to listen before election day. They also made sure to talk about everything in a way that it won't be out of date as soon as election day is past. So if there's an extended period of time after election day where we don't know the winner - or the results are being contested - this episode will still be relevant during that time. 

Description: How can you navigate this election with integrity? No matter who wins… no matter what? In this special election week episode, Moni and April roll out a survival guide that lends wisdom to all this anxiety. Drawing inspiration from A Braver Way guests like somatic therapist Luis Mojica, trans activist Kai Cheng Thom, conservative podcast host Wilk Wilkinson, and many more, your politically red and blue co-hosts ask what it’ll take to manage the one and only thing we can control this election… ourselves.