This “Depolarizing Ourselves”Workshop is designed to help lessen the effects of polarization that often occurs when we find ourselves in challenging political conversations. It introduces skills and techniques to help people reframe how we view “the other side” in the face of disagreements around politics. By “polarization,” we are not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy; we are talking about how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of our own politics as if they were enemies.

This workshop is designed for individuals who identify as holding “blue learning” political views. The two-hour session will be led by Braver Angels VT State co-coordinators, Lincoln Earle-Centers and Katherine Cadwell.

Participants will learn :

• How to be more aware of our own “inner polarizer”, that is how we use specific language and stereotypes to dismiss or demonize others with different views

• How to talk about “the other side” in a non-polarizing way

• Specific skills for depolarizing conversations with like-minded people