MN Bridge-Building Network

Smiling people doing a group high-five.

Past events

The Minnesota Bridge-Building Summit "Connect! Imagine! Ignite!" was held on May 1, 2026. Review highlights of the event and find out how to get involved in this OCDR newsletter.

Background

Minnesota, along with the rest of the nation, has witnessed growing polarization, division, incivility, and political violence in recent years. Nationally, it is estimated that incivility costs American businesses $2 billion per day in lost productivity and absenteeism, and research shows a growing connection between political polarization and negative impacts on public health and well-being. A 2026 report on dignity by Hart Research showed that a majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the way we treat each other. At the same time, the vast majority of Americans (72%) desire to be a part of the solution to increase civility and find shared common ground.

What if, across Minnesota, we could help people in our state be part of the solution? What if we could amplify efforts to find common ground and collaborate effectively? Minnesota has a remarkable network of people working to strengthen community ties and find common-ground approaches within today’s highly charged social environment. That’s why the Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution (OCDR) office began convening individuals and organizations doing “bridging” work starting in fall 2023 to foster cross-sector collaboration and innovation. (Bridging can be defined as efforts to create meaningful connections across ideology, geography, religion, race, gender, and other kinds of difference.)

Since 2023, we have grown from a small and mostly disconnected group of around 30 to approximately 200 individuals and organizations doing bridging work, and the network continues to grow! Participants are engaged in a wide range of fields including:
  • Civic education and youth leadership
  • Violence prevention and safety
  • Bridging urban-rural divides
  • Conflict resolution and community mediation
  • Restorative practices and restorative justice
  • Political bipartisanship
  • Civil discourse
  • Interfaith understanding
  • Media and storytelling
  • And more

Our preliminary goal has been to connect, promote, and expand bridging efforts in Minnesota. We take a “big tent” approach and invite anyone to the table who is interested in bringing down the temperature on social division and working across differences to solve tough problems. We are fortunate to have many outstanding partners in this project and our work is evolving rapidly.

Get involved

Are you interested in bridge building efforts in Minnesota? Would you like to join the network or support the work? Contact us for more information.