We the People: Building Bridges to Productive Civic Discourse

How do we bring compassion into the American political discourse? The purpose of this FREE workshop — facilitated by theorist and author Ari Cowan — is to provide participants with information and basic skills for increasing citizen connection, understanding, and effectiveness.

Many have expressed concern about the rancor, hysteria, and polarizing effects found in some of the current national political dialogue. How do we meet this challenge? How can we contribute to creating a respectful, inclusive, and effective civic conversations? We'll explore these and other questions at this stimulating, practical, and inspiring event.

The focus on this workshop is not on issues. Rather, we'll direct our attention to the process of working together as citizens to improve the national civic dialogue. We'll explore new approaches for enlisting cooperation, moving past fear, defusing conflict, and reinstating understanding, reason, and trust.

This workshop incorporates the new "Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model" — a revolutionary approach reducing and preventing conflict and violence. The Model has been used to reduce violence (the most severe form of conflict) in international, educational, and prison settings.

This program is part of the National Violence Reduction Initiative and is open to everyone interested in effective citizenship, creating a positive and effective national civic dialogue, fostering empowered citizenship, and exploring the possibilities for compassion, understanding, and building a bright future for all Americans.

The program is suitable for those aged 14 and older.

More information, online registration, and the link to the map and directions can be found on the We the People web page.

A brief public gathering of the Coffee Party — Mercer Island will follow the workshop.