Many people in the United States are concerned about social division and toxic polarization, including people in Minnesota. In fact, Braver Angels Minnesota and Minnesota Public Radio launched a campaign, Talking Sense, designed specifically to help Minnesotans bridge divides. But what does “bridging” mean? According to the Listen First Project, the term “bridging” has been used to describe efforts to create meaningful connections across ideology, geography, religion, race, gender, and other kinds of difference.
To support the bridging community in Minnesota, OCDR started convening approximately 50 Minnesota-based bridge-building and civic health organizations in September, 2023 to connect individuals and organizations doing related work and to discuss how to be in community together. Participants included those working in diverse fields including:
As a result of these conversations, OCDR began hosting a quarterly convening designed for participants to share practices and resources, learn about new events and initiatives, and forge partnerships. The goal is to create greater overall impact of bridging work in Minnesota.
Convening participants include staff or volunteers from:
Contact us for more information about this convening.
