In collaboration with local organizers, Braver Angels has announced a series of three political depolarization workshops in Owensboro. Braver Angels, a national organization established in 2016, works to bridge partisan divides at the grassroots level, fostering empathy rather than changing political opinions. Daviess Countians are invited to participate in the sessions.
Carolyn Dupont, Braver Angels Kentucky State Coordinator, emphasized the organization’s mission.
“We don’t seek to change anyone’s political opinions,” she said. “Nor do we want to move folks into some kind of ‘mushy middle.’ We want only to change how we view those on the other political side.”
Local organizer Vicki Quisenberry echoed the concern over political polarization and highlighted the need for diverse groups to creatively address pressing issues.
“Most of us recognize our country’s political polarization has reached dangerously destructive levels,” she said. “Choosing sides has destroyed family relationships and friendships, divided faith communities, and stifled meaningful policy conversations. I’ve been involved with a variety of local groups and have found the more diverse the group, the more creatively we can address pressing issues. Braver Angels’ mission of finding common ground to work toward a better community is why I answered Carolyn’s call to help organize these workshops.”
The workshops — each with a different theme — will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 3, March 9, and April 13 (all Saturdays), featuring trained moderators, structured group discussions, and guided one-on-one conversations. The workshops are all free and include lunch.
All workshops require advanced registration. Interested individuals can register online here or contact Quisenberry at [email protected]. Participants can sign up to attend one, two, or all three workshops — though Session 3 is limited to those who have attended one of the two previous workshops.
Workshops are as follows:
- Session 1: The Red-Blue Workshop, February 3
According to a Braver Angels release, roughly equal numbers of “red-leaning” and “blue-leaning” participants will engage in a moderated dialogue designed to promote understanding rather than debating or persuading.
“People generally leave this session amazed by what transpires,” Dupont said. “They learn that we can — we must — see one another more humanly and with less political blinders. Participants often express how good it feels to be heard and understood, rather than caricatured.” - Session 2: Skills for Bridging the Divide, March 9
This workshop will have a relatively similar theme as the first, with the release saying: “This session will offer guidelines as well as practice for having conversations that lead to greater understanding, rather than producing heated arguments and escalating anger.” - Session 3 Common Ground on Abortion, April 13
Because the discussion of abortion has become such a divisive topic from the local to national level, this session is designed to identify common ground and explore solutions. Participants in this workshop will complete a small reading packet in advance.
“People find it hard to believe but in fact, Americans — and Kentuckians — have many points of agreement on abortion,” Dupont said. “Unfortunately, as with so many issues, we’ve let partisan politics blind us to what we hold in common.”
Organizers hope these workshops will lead to the establishment of a permanent Braver Angels chapter in Daviess County.
“This kind of work must be ongoing for it to have a lasting impact,” Quisenberry said. “The pull of polarization is so strong. We, as concerned citizens, must commit to peacefully disagree while working together to move our community forward. Every citizen has to take responsibility for seeing others first and foremost as precious human beings—not political enemies.”
Braver Angels also partnered with the Catholic Diocese of Owensboro and Brescia University to make these workshops available.
“I am compelled by the notion that we have much in common and that we can find ways to lean into those commonalities,” said Daniel Kuthy, a political science professor at Brescia. “I absolutely wanted to help bring these workshops here and see what we could do about toning down the rhetoric and the rancor.”
