Neither of these positions is completely wrong, nor is either completely right; but my impression is that the necessary convergence on what is correct or incorrect about subjective opinions was never really addressed. We work in communities, on college campuses, in the media, and in the halls of political power. (AP Photo/Valeria Ferraro), Personal belongings among the wreckage of a capsized boat washed ashore at a beach near Cutro, southern Italy, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. An individuals political views are much more nuanced, arent they? That said, the digital Information Age is fundamentally different than the agrarian and industrial ages that preceded it. The two had been hoping to reach Germany. That's not the real America.". When Braver Angels, formerly Better Angels, rolled out as a national platform for civil political conversation, the message centered on uniting "red" and "blue" voters (generally conservative and liberal) in workshops and debates so participants could practice confronting often the most extreme examples of opposition to their own beliefs. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. And Nicole Suydam, CEO of Goodwill of Orange County and chair of the California Council of Goodwills, said her organization is looking forward to working with Newman on those plans. Braver Angels is one of the most successful of the bridge-building groups. This relies more on objective reality and rational thinking than on subjective opinion. He believes these sorts of gatherings while valuable are insufficient because the enmity and contempt between Americans runs so deep these days. Its website features a map covered with hundreds of green dots that represent do-good organizations such as American Public Square, Living Room Conversations and the Listen First Project that promote respectful discourse. Pictured here, reds make their list. Roberto Fasano. Italy is a prime destination for migrant smugglers, especially for traffickers launching boats from Libyan shores, but also from Turkey. He has extensively researched the red-blue divide in American party politics by focusing on county level census and voting data. A national paint trade group formed a nonprofit called PaintCare that now oversees paint collection, reuse and recycling programs across ten states that have passed similar programs. Doherty is a Minneapolis family therapist and professor who modeled the workshops on his counseling experience: get antagonists to meet face to face. Despite its limitations, the civility model of listening and talking across differences has caught fire. Abraham Lincoln - First Inaugural Address March 4, 1861. While an estimated 95% of that material could be reused or recycled, Newman said only about 15% of textiles currently are diverted from landfills. We engage differently as a society, information has become a commodity, and we know both too much and too little about the complexities it has fostered. Brands like Patagonia have been leading the way by pivoting to using recycled materials. About Us. There are many ways to get involved with Braver Angels, from joining as a member to learning how to moderate our workshops to more specific organizational roles. Used clothes would be sorted, with items in good condition sent for donation to nonprofits such as shelters or Goodwill, and items with, say, loose zippers or small tears, would be sent to repair shops before going to those nonprofits. In its current patchwork form, youre not going to have the economies of scale or the incentives to do this, Newman said. Assassins!, It was impossible to conduct any possible maneuver to get close (to the migrant ship) or to carry out a rescue due to the sea conditions, Piantedosi told reporters late Sunday. Nor does it mean that you 100% agree with parts of the statement group you do choose. AP journalists in more than 100 countries tell the worlds stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting to visual storytelling. Braver Angels (formerly Better Angels) is a New York-based 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to political depolarization. Chicagoland and Downstate; Urban and Rural; Liberals and Conservatives; Red and Blue; we are coming together in respect and civility, because we all want what is best for our country and our state. I had to pleasure to listen to the most recent episode - Whats Your Red Line? / Jonathan Haidt with Monica Guzman - of the Braver Angels podcast. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Shoppers head to the Goodwill Atwater Village store that includes at outlet store in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Braver Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. According to U.N. figures, arrivals from the Turkish route accounted for 15% of the 105,000 migrants who arrived on Italian shores last year, with nearly half of those fleeing from Afghanistan. The proposal also calls for the industry group to spell out plans for collecting and transporting items from collection sites to an authorized sorter, or directly to an authorized repair business or recycling facility. As lawmakers target drag shows, many wonder: Why? Goodwill would be a key player as a site to repurpose used clothing. Register or Buy Tickets, Price information. (Antonino Durso/LaPresse via AP), A view of part of the wreckage of a capsized boat that was washed ashore at a beach near Cutro, southern Italy, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. What Is a Braver Angels Action Group? We work in communities, on college campuses, in the media, and in the halls of political power. Still stuck? Rescue crews searched by sea and air Monday for the dozens of people believed still missing from a shipwreck off Italys southern coast that drove home once again the desperate and dangerous crossings of migrants seeking to reach Europe. For a look at the first chapter of Azizs book, Crossing Boundaries,click here! What would it take to fix the structures that warp our thinking? Join our legion of Americans who believe that the fight to save our nation begins with a ceasefire among ourselves. Used clothes deemed unsuitable for resale would be targeted for recycling, with designated centers breaking down fabrics into raw materials that could be made into new textiles. Please also note: while there will be both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options, we cannot accommodate individual requests due to the nature of the catering. Rescue crews searched by sea and air Monday for the dozens of people believed still missing from a shipwreck off Italys southern coast that drove home once again the desperate and dangerous crossings of migrants seeking to reach Europe. So, the challenge in politics is: how does one promote compromise in the spirit of give-and-take in order to converge on actions that satisfice the demands of self-government? Unsold items from then go to outlet stores. Aziz Abu Sarah started Mejdi Tours to create a new kind of experience for travelers within conflict zones. All rights reserved. (AP Photo/Luigi Navarra), A view of part of the wreckage of a capsized boat that was washed ashore at a beach near Cutro, southern Italy, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. Over the past few months, Monica's been traveling the country to lead curious conversations inspired by the themes of her book. A project called the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University tracks and tries to mitigate political violence in the United States. John Burnett/NPR But with the nation facing such deep and bitter polarization, is that enough? The second problem I observed was that the format impeded rebuttals to specific subjective opinions, whether from one side or the other. Italy has complained bitterly for years that fellow EU countries have balked at taking in migrants, many of whom aim to find family or work in northern Europe. Braver Angels' mission includes not only depolarizing, but also engaging those committed to finding common ground to tackle important issues together. This was solved simply: those individuals speaking in the affirmative received four times as many speaking turns as those individuals speaking in the negative, for dearth of voices. A few life jackets were scattered amid the debris. The emphasis is on inclusion of different viewpoints and a balance between red vs. blue perspectives. It was a spine-chilling scene, Larosa said. Peter Coleman is professor of psychology and education at Columbia University and author of The Way Out: How To Overcome Toxic Polarization. E.g. Such silence is evidence of the trauma the migrants endured, said Sergio Di Dato, project leader of the Doctors Without Borders psychological team. On the other end of the spectrum, so-called fast fashion brands, such as Shein and Temu, are getting heat for making products so cheap that buyers treat them as disposable. That typically means using heavy machinery to shred the clothing for rags or repurpose the fibers in other products, such as stuffing for furniture, insulation or carpet padding. This month they initiate a new project, Braver Politics, that will attempt to lower the temperature in school boards, state legislatures and even the U.S. Congress. The fashion industry has been under increasing pressure to reduce its overall environmental impact, from water use to greenhouse gases. Vihaney Garate sorts incoming clothes at the Goodwill Atwater Village store in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. We invite you to consider a gift to Braver Angels; all donations are tax deductible. They will solve the problems.. Then there are the zippers and buttons and other trims that get in the way. The apparent reason is to discourage personal confrontations among friends and peers, but as adults we should be able to accept that some of our heartfelt ideas may be wrong. Sen. Josh Newman wants clothing and textile manufacturers in California to boost recycling to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. And whatever doesnt sell there goes to third-party resellers, who might turn unsold or damaged items into rags needed by car washes and auto shops. BA has been compared to marriage counseling, and I believe this is an accurate analogy. Austin police work to separate supporters of President Donald Trump and supporters of President-elect Joe Biden as they protest near the state Capitol on Nov. 7, 2020, in Austin, Texas. Aziz joins Braver Angels leader Randy Lioz for a conversation about his work and his life story that brought him to the world of peace building, as they take on tough questions about power dynamics, victimhood, and what the U.S. can learn from conflicts in other places. ", In terms of noticeable changes, Shortes says Democrats who have participated in local workshops have felt empowered to come out of the closet in their smaller, conservative towns. "There are a lot of groups like Braver Angels who think of themselves as this bridge-building sector, increasingly," says Shannon Hiller, executive director of the Bridging Divides Initiative. What many people might not know is that all this was set up a decade ago, by state law, when California first started to make paint manufacturers pay for recycling and keeping their products out of landfills. Not sure which email that was? More were feared dead given survivor accounts that the boat, which set off from Turkey last week, was carrying about 170 people. After 45 minutes of brainstorming, a local stockbroker named Chuck Mazac stands up to share the work of the red group. (Leaning more towards one group of statements is not an indication that you 100% disagree with parts of the other statement group. After Oregon passed the first stewardship program laws for paint in 2009, that industry saw the writing on the wall. Michael Harrington is a political scientist, policy analyst, and writer living in Los Angeles. Launched in 2016, Braver Angels is a bipartisan citizen's movement to unify America. We are equally balanced between conservatives and progressives at every level of leadership. ", Maxine Coppinger, real estate agent, Democrat: "Well, I found that we are more alike than we are different and that's the bottom line for me. In looking for . The organization runs workshops, debates, and other events where "red" (conservative) and "blue" (liberal) participants attempt to better understand one another's positions and discover their shared values. He said the reaction of the survivors also haunted him. One big ecommerce brand collected unwanted items and had Amons team recycle the fabric into yarn that was made into socks to give to the homeless, while a footwear company had his team separate out the polyester in unwanted shoes to make swimsuits. If a marriage faced that prospect, the better alternative might be an amicable divorce. The Braver Angels Podcast brings you face to face with leading voices from across the divide alongside remarkable Americans you did not know existed. Brooke lives in the Inland Empire with her husband and their much-loved pets. He blogs at www.casinocap.wordpress.com and www.tukaglobal.com. My goal, as the author here, is to find the best common ground among all the various affected participants so that we come out of this with something that is actionable and workable and that the governor signs.. Goodwill would be a key player as a site to repurpose used clothing. Braver Angels seeks to depolarize American politics. Go-to place to discover events for more than 20M people globally. Now is a time for us to remember that we need each other as Americans. We need love if we are to heal America. Senate Bill 707, or the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2023, would make California the first state to require its thousands of fashion manufacturers to help set up free collection sites in every county where consumers can drop off unwanted items. And the reds will stay up here.". Amon started out more than a decade ago in the electronics recycling sector, building a business that eventually recycled some 30 million pounds of electronic waste a year. ", Chuck Mazac, broker, Republican: "I found this very, very helpful, and I'm glad I came, even though I was reticent to be here. A foundational principle in Braver Angels is that we engage in dialogue to better understand others' perspectives, not to change their mind. Italian authorities rejected criticism of a delayed rescue, noting they had dispatched two rescue boats shortly after the European Union's border agency spotted the 20-foot (6-meter) boat . Questions? The Big Bear native got her start teaching high school English and journalism in Riverside County but left in 2006 to be a student again herself, earning a masters degree in journalism from New York University. We are more connected on the superficial, yet more isolated on the meaningful, than ever before. Braver Angels (formerly Better Angels) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to political depolarization. Brooke joined the Orange County Register in January 2013, covering local communities, cannabis and politics before starting on the environment beat for SCNG in July 2022. These forcesthe political parties (through campaigning, legislating, and gerrymandering,) news and entertainment media (conflict sells,) and elite manipulation (corporate lobbying, regulatory capture, anti-competitiveness)act in the narrow interest of accumulating greater power, wealth, and influence over the world. Here in La Grange situated on the rolling prairie between Austin and Houston folks voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump. He said he spoke to a Syrian survivor in his 20s who watched his 6-year-old brother slowly die from the cold after drifting for hours in the waves on a piece of wood. A Red/Blue Workshop in La Grange, Texas, was put on by volunteers with the nonprofit Braver Angels, which stages encounters and debates all over the country as a way to reduce political polarization. A Braver Angel is a citizen with a political leaning Red (as defined here), Blue (as defined here), Other (as defined here), or none at all. Pilot Project It's a heady thought. The workshops are open to anyone, so participants self-select. We invite you to consider a gift to Braver Angels; all donations are tax deductible. And Metchek argued thats none of anybodys business., Metchek instead pointed the finger at consumers, arguing most clothing ends up in landfills when individuals throw it away or leave it at Goodwill or Salvation Army, where it may never sell.