Building Bridges
Helping Us Have Those “Difficult Conversations”
“We have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together or we are going to learn to live together, and if we are to live together, we have to talk.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
Advocacy is hard work. Constantly butting up against opposition can wear us out. As an antidote to frustration and burnout, sometimes we just need to sit down and talk to one another. But how do we do that in today’s polarized society?
The Building Bridges program uses the Living Room Conversation model as a way for people from differing perspectives to have meaningful conversations. Rather than seeking to convince one another, we practice listening and engage our authentic curiosity. Good conversations help build relationships and illuminate the places where values align—which is where agreement can grow even if opinions differ.
We encourage you to explore Building Bridges through conversation events and training workshops.
Upcoming workshops:
Living Room Conversation: The Great Unraveling
Friday, March 29
12:00-1:30 pm PT / 3:00-4:30 pm ET
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Building Bridges is bringing us together for a conversation about how our planet’s multiple systems are showing signs of imminent collapse and how we choose to respond to The Great Unravelling.
Can we assume that technology, our current educational systems, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and desperate hope can reverse the slide toward systems’ collapse? This conversation will challenge participants to reflect on their beliefs that a Meta-crisis may be confronting us. Do you see this as a problem to be solved or a predicament?
We all want to live in a healthy environment, but is that compatible with our enjoyment of all the benefits of modern society? How much influence do people have over the quality of the environment they live in? Is it possible that even our best efforts will not be able to stabilize the climate and avoid catastrophic consequences for the entire planet? Is this even a conversation you are willing to have?
If so, JOIN US and tell us how you feel about this!!
Making the Implicit Explicit: What Neuroscience Reveals About Controlling Our Unconscious Biases with David Rose
Tuesday, April 30
1:00 – 3:30 pm PT / 4:00 – 6:30 pm ET
The Building Bridges team is honored to sponsor this special class by neurophysiologist David Rose. In recent years, there has been a great deal of scientific and popular interest in what are called “implicit biases.” Such biases—like racism, sexism, ableism—are largely unconscious and unintentional and yet can profoundly affect perception, behavior, and emotion. David will explore what modern brain research can teach us about the origin of these implicit biases, and especially about how they can be prevented, reduced, or controlled.
Some questions he will address:
- When and where do unconscious biases emerge in the brain?
- To what extent are social biases inherited or learned?
- What are the primary types of implicit social biases found in the brain?
- Why are implicit biases easier to learn than to unlearn?
- Why are most anti-bias trainings and educational programs unsuccessful?
- What does brain research reveal about how to design educational interventions that are successful in reducing, controlling, or preventing the injustices that follow from implicit biases?