Independence Day: What gives me hope?
There are many ways to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country. For me, it was attending a Braver Angels Convention in Philadelphia. Braver Angels is a grassroots non-profit organization that brings people together across political divides to solve problems in their communities. Through Braver Angels, I’ve been grateful to facilitate workshops in Vermont and New Hampshire, including the Upper Valley, for community members, along with elected officials at both the state and town levels, in moving beyond contentious dialogues to transform conflict into opportunity.
At the convention, more than 800 of us from across the country – conservatives, liberals, and independents– came together to engage in four days of activities encompassing multiple to build our civic muscle. We held debates on immigration and trustworthy elections and shared examples of citizen-led solutions to empower initiatives in communities, including affordable housing. As a physician, I co-led a workshop on restoring trust in public health so we will be prepared for future pandemics. In the spirit of my name badge, which included the placard “Proud Liberal with Conservative Friends,” my West Lebanon New Hampshire Republican partner, Doug Teschner, and I led a session on creative writing. It promoted the mission of strengthening relationships in divided times, inspired by our book, “Beyond the Politics of Contempt, Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times” and Substack newsletter, “Together Across Differences.”
All of us delegates took a pledge: “I pledge to be a courageous citizen. To choose curious listening over contempt. To build alongside those with different politics. And to embrace our shared duty to renew America’s civic culture.” What better place to renew civic culture than here is New England? While we have many challenges facing our nation, I have hope we can harness our differences – -including our political diversity, to solve them.