Civil Discourse

How do we listen even when we are the most hurt? How do we disagree without disappearing?

At the Resnick Aspen Action Forum, changemakers explored what it means — and what it takes — to stay at the table during the most difficult moments. This conversation turns toward clues in history, reminding us that the institutions of today were once the result of creative innovation.

Taking inspiration from youth and the artistic community as sources of “research and development,” this conversation invites us to wrestle with tension rather than treating conflict as failure, allowing us to remain in relationship through our differences. Whether operating in small towns in a single U.S. state like South Carolina, or across multiple nations in the Middle East, panelists discussed the conditions that we can create in ourselves and in our communities to design new ways forward.

Peter Tragos, Asst. Superintendent at New Trier High School, keeps respectful inquiry at the center of his school’s curriculum.

College campuses are an environment in which this fracturing is especially acute. Higher education institutions have traditionally served as the forum where ideas are formed, discussed, contested, and refined.

In this report, we grapple with the critiques of bridge-building, with the hope that it will spur sustained discussion within and across the bridge-building and social justice communities.

The events in Charlottesville once again should remind us of the importance of the work we do and the values we hold.