There are many fine organizations that bring people together to share their stories, but many of us may not be ready to participate in this way. We created Building Bridges Word By Word to create an alternative way to meet those outside of our circles and then hopefully, develop the confidence to reach out in additional ways.
For those who are ready to do more, Building Bridges Word By Word has gathered together a list of innovative discussion groups, storytelling processes, or other ways that help to create understanding and community. If you’re aware of additional resources that could be included in this compilation, please reach out to us at buildingbridgeswbw@gmail.com.
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Through our Facebook page, Building Bridges Word by Word initiates conversations that delve into these readings, fostering an environment where dialogue can flourish and understanding can grow.
“The Politics of Delusion Have Taken Hold,” Thomas B. Edsall, Opinion, Guest Essay, The New York Times, May 31, 2023.
There are very real — and substantial — policy differences separating the Democratic and Republican Parties. At the same time, what scholars variously describe as misperception and even delusion is driving up the intensity of contemporary partisan hostility.
“Hug an election denier” by Sergio Peçanha, The Washington Post, January 17, 2023.
In his opinion piece, Sergio Peçanha draws parallels between the US and January 6, 2021 and the riots in the capital of Brazil this past January. He doesn’t actually focus much on the events themselves. Instead he writes about how they impacted people who have loved ones with a very different views of what happened and their subsequent estrangement from each other.
Whatever “side” you are on and whatever the issue, his advice applies: We need to pop the bubbles that keep us from connecting with our loved ones. “It is only because I know and love many of those inside the other bubbles that I can make the effort to understand them. I invite you to do the same…” He goes on to say that while it may be natural to want to brush off these people off, “it won’t make the problem go away.”
Then he poses a radical idea, “What if, instead, we pull them in closer? Draw them to us. Look them in eye.” And see that their “wish for a better country is real.”
‘Cold and Tense’: 10 Americans on How Politics Changes Relationships, New York Times, November 5, 2022. By Maggie Astor
Nearly one in five voters said in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll that political divisions had hurt their relationships. After the poll was published, The Times asked readers to share their own experiences. More than 500 people responded, many of them describing friendships and familial ties that had long withstood disagreements, only to crumble over the past few years.
Ten readers share their stories about the strain today’s politics has put on their family and personal relationships.