Citizen-Led Solutions Demystified
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Have you heard next month's convention will put a big emphasis on Citizen-Led Solutions (CLS)? Have you wondered, “what exactly IS that?” You’re not alone! CLS is BA's approach to problem-solving in local communities, based on moving past angry rhetoric and towards common ground. Steve Saltwick, co-founder of the Central Texas Alliance and a member of the team that developed the CLS model, calls it a way to “set a norm of working together to solve problems.” In CEO Maury Giles’s terms, it’s how we “build civic muscle.”
The Convention will offer two opportunities to take the introductory workshop on “CLS: A Pillar of Courageous Citizenship” sessions, plus a more in-depth session titled “Beyond the Basics: How to Do a Citizen-Led Solution.” So if you’ve got a problem in your community (and who doesn’t?!), you’ll go home with a new way of looking at it: as an opportunity for collaboration. Meantime, if you want to see examples of CLS at work, click here to check out how Alliances across the country are using it to address everything from school start times to revising the city’s master plan.
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What Does a Red/Blue Pair Look Like?
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Our Sunday newsletter described ways liberal (Blue) members can work to recruit conservative (Red) counterparts for the convention next month. Would a preview of a Red-Blue pair in action help you convince someone to attend? Then eavesdrop on a recent conversation between Convention Co-Chairs Diego Sánchez (Blue) and Jim Robb (Red) at the University of California at Irvine. Each man is an immigration activist who is ready to own up to his own sides’ blind spots. In this forum they talk about how to replace strategic obstructionism with shared forward motion for common sense reforms. Click here to read about it, or watch the whole thing by clicking here.
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Citizens Commission on Immigration Goes Next Level
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A few weeks ago we showcased a video of a Citizens Commission on Immigration Common Ground workshop. These workshops– where regular people learn from each other and forge a path forward– are crucial acts of courageous citizenship. The next step is taking the workshop findings to an elected representative. That just happened in New York’s 17th District, where a BA group moderated by NY state coordinator Randy Freeman met with Representative Mike Lawler. They learned A LOT, including that (surprise!) “there’s more bipartisanship than most people realize” among members of Congress. Click here to read full coverage of the event.
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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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Becoming a Courageous Citizen May 31, 4-5pm ET
An overview of BA's principles with reflective exercises and discussion.
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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DEBATE CALENDAR
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Debate Resolution Workshop May 28 from 7-8:30pm ET
Great debates start with great resolutions! Workshop yours here.
Click here for details and sign-up.
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National Debate: Christianity and Politics June 2 from 8-10pm ET
Should Christian practices have a place in US politics?
Click here for details and sign-up.
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Debate Volunteer Forum June 10 from 8-9pm ET
Joine the online monthly meetup for BA debate aficionados and discuss how storytelling creates impact.
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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Thinking about the Supreme Court’s decision on Louisiana’s congressional maps, John Wood, Jr. observes that ‘“when ‘racist’ and ‘race-baiter’ become the default frame for how we talk about one another, we are no longer speaking as neighbors, but as enemies.”
Watch: Braver Angels TV: “Gerrymandering, Race, and Civic Trust”
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When the Shalom Alliance of Central Ohio started a project focused on the traditional Jewish value of machloket l’shem shamayim-- "disagreement for the sake of heaven"-- BA ideas fit right in.
Read: Columbus Jewish News: “Bridge the Divide”
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Melinda Voss and Scott Schluter led the “Reduce the Rancor” bus tour across Minnesota in 2018. Alix Kendall wants to learn from their example.
Watch: Life Unscripted: “Why We Need Braver Angels”
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Packing for Philadelphia already? Convention Director Mark Metzger shares the themes, goals, and structures that will animate events.
Listen: How Do We Fix It?: “The Convention– A Pledge Renewed”
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WHAT THEY SAID
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A strength of Braver Angels is striving to be a welcoming place for ALL perspectives across the political spectrum, including the most partisan on both sides, along with moderates, purples, and others in the exhausted majority.
-- Douglas Teschner (Red) and Beth Malow (Blue), Together Across Differences
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