1977: Braver Angels' Usable Past?
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A couple weeks ago, BA co-founder Bill Doherty and CEO Maury Giles took the stage at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum to talk about Courageous Citizenship. Among the themes they discussed: "leaders that serve, and service that heals." To illustrate this point, Maury pulled up the slide above. It shows two images of House Speaker Tip O'Neill (D, MA) and Republican President Gerald Ford. In one, O'Neill side-eyes Ford's policy proposal. In the other, the men are golfing together. Did they collaborate across party lines because they shared a commitment to understated slacks? Or did they work together because they shared an ethical and professional investment in a common American good? Decide for yourself, then click here to watch Bill and Maury carry on this legacy.
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Photo credits (L-R) : National Archives and Records Administration, Wikimedia Commons
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Live from Chicago, It's Braver Angels!
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Remember the epic cold spell last winter? That’s when we promoted WTTW’s Firsthand: Democracy, featuring BA Illinois co-chair Maryanne Colter. Tonight, as they exchange snow boots for flip-flops, Chicagoans can attend a live follow-up to that broadcast: a discussion of some Braver Education work Maryanne helped facilitate in Illinois schools. The program includes teachers and students from classrooms that have adopted BA tools, as well as comments from one parent who says a kid with LAPP skills “has been magical in my household.” If you’re in Chicagoland, run down to the studio at 6:00pm CST tonight! If you’re not, you can still click here to see the BA magic at work in Firsthand: Democracy.
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Braver Faith Convention Teaser
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In this month’s Braver Faith newsletter, co-chair Mark Beckwith shares the story of the Grand Federal Procession of 1788, which celebrated the ratification of the Constitution. “The Clergy formed a very agreeable part of the Procession,” one observer wrote, with “four and five of them marching arm in arm with each other, to exemplify the Union. Pains were taken to connect Ministers of the most dissimilar religious principles together, thereby to shew [sic] the influence of a free government in promoting Christian charity.” We predict a similarly “very agreeable" sight at the Convention, where Braver Faith members will lead a dedicated Depolarizing Within workshop, as well as breakout sessions on Faith and Politics and on What Faith Owes Democracy/ What Democracy Owes Faith. Click here to read this month's Braver Faith newsletter, and look for at least "four and five of us marching arm in arm" in Philadelphia next month!
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ONLINE EVENT CALENDAR
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Introduction to Organizing Various dates and times
Required to become a qualified Organizer; helpful for Alliance Co-Chairs and State Coordinators.
Click here for details and sign-up.
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Event Organizer Crash Course Training June 6, 11am-5pm ET
Start-to-finish training to become a qualified Organizer for BA events.
Click here to register for the Introductory module and here for the Advanced portion.
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Skills for Disagreeing Better National Workshop July 11, 2-3:30pm ET
Understand the values and concerns of those who differ politically and learn skills for communicating differences and finding common ground.
Click here for details and sign-up.
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Depolarizing Within National Workshop July 25, 2-5pm ET
Become more aware of your "inner polarizer" and learn methods for disagreeing without contempt and ridicule.
Click here for details and sign-up.
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DEBATE CALENDAR
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Debate Resolution Development Workshop July 9 from 7-8:30pm ET
Workshop your resolution to ensure it gives people on both sides something they want to talk about.
Click here for details and sign-up.
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Our resolutions never represent Braver Angels' stance on any issue,
and we alternate between speeches for and against the resolution.
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IN THE NEWS
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Ready for your curated overview of next month’s convention program? Our Convention Director explains the themes, goals, and structures of the event.
Listen: How Do We Fix It?: “The Convention– A Pledge Renewed”
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“Power that grows from collaboration, not from dominance.” That’s how Civic Scholars Council member Trygve Throntveit describes Courageous Citizenship.
Read: Time Magazine: “The Democratic Tradition We’ve Forgotten”
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Beth Malow and Doug Teschner share the story of their blue/red partnership and their work on behalf of Braver Angels and a united citizenry.
Listen (at minute 6:00 ): The Gist: “Beyond the Politics of Contempt”
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How did we get to where engaging with someone is seen as endorsing their views? And how do we get OUT of that place? Michael Lee of the Civility Institute has some ideas.
Listen: Derate the Hate: “Conversation Does Not Equal Complicity”
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WHAT THEY SAID
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Conservatives, just like progressives-- we're all Americans, and we need to engage in this.
-- Maury Giles, Braver Angels CEO, at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum
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