UA Little Rock to Host Bridge-Building Conversation Workshops
UA Little Rock is organizing two complementary workshops this fall to aid individuals in cultivating dialogues with those who hold divergent viewpoints, highlighting the current divisions within our world.
The UA Little Rock Diversity Council and the Office of the Chancellor are hosting the workshops, facilitated by Braver Angels, that are designed to equip participants with the skills needed to bridge divides and foster constructive dialogue. Both sessions are free and will be offered via Zoom.
“We are so thrilled to work with Braver Angels to provide these bridge-building workshops on campus,” said Dr. Melvin Beavers, the Chancellor’s DEI fellow. “They will provide our faculty, students, and staff with a platform to come together and delve into challenging topics. These workshops offer a space for us to navigate these discussions with respect, dignity, and understanding. This is particularly important in today’s political landscape. I think these workshops reflect parts of our institution’s core values, showcasing our commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue.”
The first workshop, “Depolarizing Within,” will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 20. Register at ualr.at/within. This workshop is designed to foster skills to help participants lessen the effects of polarization when encountered in political conversations.
The second workshop, “Skills for Bridging the Political Divide,” will be held from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 23. Register at ualr.atu/bridge. This workshop is for people who are interested in having better conversations with people on the other side of the political aisle. Participants will learn and practice skills to have respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship.
The workshop facilitators will include Braver Angels National Team members Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication at UA Little Rock, Maggie Bayless, moderator training coordinator, and Mary Thomas-Vallens, moderator forum coordinator.
Chatham Carpenter, who recently served for two years as a volunteer co-director of the Office of Field operations for Braver Angels, now serves as a co-lead for regional operations for Braver Angels in five states. The UA Little Rock workshops are also part of a wider Braver Angels campaign, Rise for America, that she helps manage. The national campaign for civic renewal encourages participants to take at least one action to help bridge the political divide and bring Americans together in constructive dialogue.
The workshops are a continuation of the bridge-building conversations UA Little Rock has been building in recent years. In February, UA Little Rock welcomed Mónica Guzmán, author of “I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.”
Guzman, who serves as senior fellow for public practice with Braver Angels, served as the speaker for the 2023 Inclusive and Inspiring Speaker Series, held a workshop for students and faculty, and met with members of the UA Little Rock Cabinet and Racial Barriers Committee.
For more information, contact Dr. Melvin Beavers at mebeavers@ualr.edu.
