So Much is New

An issue alluded to in the two year old post here, “What’s New,” (February 2019), is now more serious and important. Toxic divisions in our country and communities threaten our solidarity. A lot has in fact happened in these last two years; the pandemic threatening our mortal existence and economic stability added to a cultural pandemic of polarization that seriously threatens our democracy. Both have spread insidiously. Yet we must hold fast to hope and this post asserts that there is good reason for that hope as long as we take the issue seriously.

Quite a few significant efforts are underway in different quarters to treat the cultural epidemic of distrust, division and polarization. A few of them are (you can google them all):

The VBA at Karsh roundtable (report issued in March 2021) describes steps that can be taken and attempts to galvanize positive, constructive actions;https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.vba.org/resource/resmgr/vba_at_karsh/vba_at_karsh.pdf

 The roundtable was set up after an opening Virginia Bar Association panel on how to communicate better to bridge differences and misunderstanding - check it out here: https://youtu.be/t7jMUK_91tI;

Braver Angels does very good work online to model and facilitate dialogue and civil discussion;

Open Mind is a platform that educates people how to communicate better;

Icivics has released (March 2021)a Roadmap to Democracy that advances the cause of history and civics educational efforts nationally to strengthen civic engagement knowledge and skills needed to shore up our democracy, recognizing that the young shall lead us.

UNITE has been formed to advance the several kinds of work represented in the foregoing.

I have been involved in some of the above, hoping my own mediative and facilitative skills might contribute to the needed cure. Colleagues from all over Virginia gathered (virtually) along the way to advance our Commonwealth-wide plans. They are outstandingly talented and so generous. They are strong reason for hope.

Won’t you also check out some of these resources and pledge to get involved and do what you can do to reverse the negative trends and help build communities of trust?

Leadership with a capitol “L” and widespread, dedicated effort are needed ,horizontally and vertically, to elevate our culture. We need a culture in which civility, respect for each other’s humanity, and standards for communication and interaction are accepted and practiced within work, social, familial and government communities. Let us truly listen to each other and try to live together productively.