Thousands to Gather Online for National Roundtable on Political Violence

The National Roundtable on Political Violence, organized by Newsweek and AllSides, is an online event on November 6 that will bring together thousands of Americans to confront the growing threat of political violence through dialogue and collective action. Participants will engage in small, structured conversations designed to bridge political divides, uncover shared humanity, and identify concrete steps to reduce violence in their communities. This initiative models a scalable approach to civic engagement by combining AllSides’ expertise in balanced discourse with Newsweek’s journalistic reach, demonstrating how digital platforms can foster meaningful human connection and strengthen democracy. Ultimately, the Roundtable seeks to transform crisis into collaboration, showing that conversation—not conflict—is the path to healing America’s civic fabric.

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In a moment when political violence threatens the fabric of American democracy, two unlikely partners are stepping forward with a powerful response: conversation. Newsweek and AllSides have announced the National Roundtable on Political Violence, a groundbreaking online event that will bring together thousands of Americans on November 6 to engage in dialogue across political divides and commit to positive action.
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The event comes at a critical juncture. From attacks on elected officials to violence at houses of worship and government facilities, communities across the nation are grappling with the dangerous normalization of violence as a political tool. Rather than accepting this troubling trend, the National Roundtable offers an alternative path forward—one rooted in the simple yet transformative act of talking with someone who sees the world differently.

Building Bridges Through Structured Dialogue

The National Roundtable represents more than a single event; it models a scalable approach to civic engagement that NCDD members and practitioners will find both familiar and innovative. Participants will join live video conversations in small groups of four to six people, carefully matched to ensure diverse political perspectives. Using a conversation guide developed by Living Room Conversations, these groups will move through structured dialogue designed to uncover shared humanity and explore concrete actions individuals can take in their daily lives.

This approach embodies core principles that NCDD has long championed: creating brave spaces for difficult conversations, ensuring every voice is heard, and transforming understanding into action. The event will unfold across three time slots on November 6, accommodating participants across time zones and schedules, with registration open to anyone committed to choosing dialogue over division.
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What makes this initiative particularly significant is its ambition to establish routine National Roundtable events accessible to all, including small-budget nonprofits and community organizations. By leveraging technology to connect thousands simultaneously while maintaining the intimacy of small-group dialogue, the organizers are demonstrating how digital platforms can serve democratic discourse at scale without sacrificing the human connection that makes dialogue meaningful.

A Partnership for Democracy

AllSides, known for its work revealing media bias and providing balanced perspectives, brings its commitment to information integrity and dialogue to this partnership. The organization has long worked to help people escape one-sided information systems and see the full picture on complex issues. Newsweek, with its 93-year legacy of journalism reaching 100 million people monthly, contributes its convening power and commitment to fair-minded reporting that inspires collective action.

Together, they are creating what Jennifer Cunningham, Editor in Chief of Newsweek, describes as a national forum where Americans can move from awareness to understanding, and from understanding to solutions. John Gable, CEO of AllSides, emphasizes that the event will help participants remember there are concrete steps each person can take to address political violence in their communities, organizations, and daily interactions.
This collaborative model—pairing a media organization with a dialogue and deliberation practitioner—offers valuable insights for NCDD's network. It demonstrates how partnerships across sectors can amplify reach while maintaining the integrity of structured dialogue processes. It also shows how moments of crisis can become catalysts for engagement when organizations respond with both urgency and care.

The National Roundtable embodies values central to NCDD's mission: strengthening democracy through inclusive participation, fostering understanding across differences, and recognizing that sustainable change emerges from genuine human connection. By proving that positive action can replace violence and that dialogue is stronger than division, this event invites all Americans to become active participants in healing our civic culture.

For dialogue and deliberation practitioners, community organizers, and anyone committed to democratic renewal, the National Roundtable on Political Violence offers both inspiration and invitation. Join thousands of fellow citizens on November 6 to demonstrate that even in our most challenging moments, we can choose conversation over conflict and collective action over despair.
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Learn more and register at https://www.allsides.com/national-roundtable-political-violence