Listen First Project

Happy #ListenFirstFriday! I’m Dr. Tania Israel, professor of counseling psychology and author of Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation. It’s a timely resource to help us feel informed, empowered, and optimistic in polarizing times.  Although dialogue is a crucial aspect of bridging divides, it’s not enough. What’s plaguing Americans goes beyond encounters with other humans. We are inundated with provocative media, our perceptions of people across the political spectrum are skewed, and we feel unmoored by our neighbor’s lawn sign. Facing the Fracture is an antidote to our divisive environment. It provides facts about polarization (spoiler alert – we’re not as divided as we think we are). It offers tips for how to reduce polarizing input, such as turning off news notifications on your phone and recognizing cognitive biases. If you’re fluctuating between avoidance and anger, you’ll find strategies for managing emotions and building resilience. You’ll learn how to strengthen connections by listening, sharing stories, and volunteering. I featured the bridging movement in Facing the Fracture because people are wowed that over 500 organizations are promoting social cohesion and strengthening our democracy. If you’re watching this, you’re in a great position to spread the word by sharing this video, talking with your friends, and encouraging people to sign the #ListenFirst Pledge. Americans are thirsty for hope, and learning about the bridging movement can help them feel more optimistic. If you’re distressed about politics, there are lots of resources on my website that can help – taniaisrael.com I’m Dr. Tania Israel, author of Facing the Fracture. Thanks for listening!

Happy #ListenFirst Friday from Ken Futernick, the host and founder of Courageous Conversations About Our Schools. This is a podcast that seeks to unite educators, parents, and students and to avoid the growing polarization that is wreaking havoc on our schools. When discussing issues like book banning, race, gender, and parental rights, our guests agree to turn down the volume, to listen to one another, and to have civil conversations about what’s best for their students and communities. To better understand the dynamics of conflict in the school culture wars, several of our episodes include conflict experts like Amanda Ripley (author of High Conflict), Peter Coleman (author of The Way Out), and Monica Guzman (author of I Never Thought of it That Way). I’m excited to announce our latest podcast series, Middie Rising: A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War. This story, which took eight months to produce, chronicles the remarkable journey of a Black superintendent in Middletown, Ohio, who found a way to overcome intense criticism, not by attacking the critics but by listening to them and rallying the community to speak about their vision for their schools. This is a story of “credible hope,” as one of our guests puts it, with lessons for any community that is looking for a way out of toxic conflict. You can discover more about the Middletown story and learn how to amplify it by visiting https://lnkd.in/gWekeHgg.

Most of us spend a good deal of our waking hours interacting with others. Some studies show we spend up to two-thirds of our day listening. But just because we do it a lot, it doesn’t mean we do it well. Graham Bodie from Listen First Project shared some tips on listening well some time back. They are just as relevant now: https://zurl.co/7ETx

Can a school district on the brink of a culture war find common ground? Tune in to Courageous Conversations About Our Schools to hear the inspiring journey of Middletown's educators, parents, and leaders who found a way to unite on behalf of their students. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gWekeHgg

Happy #ListenFirst Friday from One Small Step! Brought to you by the award-winning nonprofit StoryCorps, One Small Step is an effort to remind the country we are all fellow Americans who each want a better future for our nation and our families—even when we disagree. The initiative, as seen on 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News’ Eye on America, and in The Wall Street Journal, brings strangers with different views together for a conversation—not to debate politics—but to get to know each other as people. To date, over 5,500 people in over 40 states have participated.

Happy #ListenFirst Friday! I'm Ken Powley, co-founder of Team Democracy, and Executive Director of R.A.F.T. for America. RAFT for America is an exciting series of bridging events taking place this summer on some of America's most magnificent whitewater rivers, where red/blue pairs of grassroots and grass tops participants are placed in whitewater rafts together, so they can play with one another, discover one another's humanity, and model the kinds of conversations - about thorny issues - that exemplify the art of listening first and disagreeing better. Award winning filmmaker Kristi Kendall is capturing these events for use in a series of short videos, a documentary film, and possibly a TV series in 2025. The best way to see the kind of bridging content we're aiming for is to enjoy this short video from our first R.A.F.T. event last month in Pennsylvania. https://lnkd.in/gu5YNQMr

Toxic polarization has convinced us that our fellow Americans are our enemies. That is a lie that threatens to destroy us. But there is hope and opportunity to turn down the heat and find a way forward together. I think we should each look in the mirror and ask ourselves a pivotal question: Are we going to fight against our fellow Americans or fight for America? If enough of us choose to see dignity across differences, and seek to find a way forward together, America’s future will be bright. Our founder Pearce Godwin shared that hope and many opportunities across our Listen First Coalition in an interview on Washington Journal. #ListenFirst

Happy #ListenFirst Friday!    I’m Piper Hendricks, CEO of Stories Change Power.   We equip people with the knowledge, tools, and network to be effective advocates. Put another way, we help hearts and minds reach the hearts and minds in power in a way that bridges – not deepens – the divides we see across the United States.    Many challenges our country faces today cannot be solved without changing laws, policies, and systems. Those changes will not happen without skillful advocates who can win enough hearts and minds to build stronger and broader coalitions to support such change. Unfortunately, as Independent Sector reported last summer, nonprofit influence through advocacy and civic engagement is in decline.   Stories Change Power is reversing that trend by equipping individuals and organizations with a proven approach to advocacy communication that is:  ·       people-centered; ·       data-informed; ·       research-backed; ·       bridge-building; and  ·       organization-wide.   I share several ways you can learn this approach below. But first, let's be sure to stay in touch beyond this message. If our latest updates aren't already landing in your inbox every other Friday, sign up for our newsletter today. Stay looped in between newsletters by following us on LinkedIn.  FREE WEBINARS: To boost your skills and motivation every month, join our free webinar series. "STORY SHORTS:" Whether you’re new to storytelling or need to refine your approach, you'll gain actionable insights in our short courses on storytelling, including ethical storytelling and stories for R.E.S.U.L.T.S.   CUSTOMIZED TRAINING: We tailor 1:1 coaching and organization-wide trainings to your needs and those of your team.   LEARNING COMMUNITIES: To develop a solid foundation in advocacy communication, apply to join a Learning Community, either in-person over the course of 3 full days or online once per week for 3 months – including options that kick off in September. It is deeply important to me that cost never be a barrier to people who could benefit from our programming. If you appreciate this approach and are in a position to help us help advocates, please contribute to our scholarship fund knowing we're a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit.    It’s an honor to be part of a growing number of organizations in the movement to bridge divides and bring Americans together. We look forward to hearing from you!   With hope for our shared future,  Piper Hendricks piper@storieschangepower.org 

"This year, it is our democracy that requires an emergency response. Religious communities can and should be the first to step forward." Poll workers are some of the unsung heroes of our democracy. Sign up today. https://lnkd.in/gGubmGPs

Want a dose of hope this morning? Listen First Project Founder Pearce Godwin was on the Washington Journal on C-SPAN yesterday, talking about the work being done around the country to overcome toxic polarization and the demonization across differences. More and more American heroes are dedicating themselves to saving our country from tearing apart and making America stronger by defeating toxic polarization, and we are honored to have so many of them in the Listen First Coalition. Here are just a few groups we spotlighted: Urban Rural Action, Common Ground Committee, RAFT for America, More in Common, Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project), American Exchange Project, BridgeUSA, and more. Check out the full interview now.