Courageous Community Conversations

Braver Angels is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to reduce political polarization through Courageous Conversations that help bridge divides. We believe disagreement isn’t a threat—it’s part of a healthy community.

If we are to have any hope to work together in our community, we need the skills to talk across differences in a way that strengthens trust and common purpose — E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one.

Help us pilot a new local training

We’re inviting a small, hand-selected group of 10–15 community leaders from San Diego’s East County to participate in a pilot workshop with two highly trained Braver Angles moderators. Your role will be to help us test and refine this training before we offer it more broadly to the public.

What you’ll do

In a facilitated 3-hour workshop, you’ll practice skills for:

• Recognizing your “inner polarizer” and the habits that quietly sabotage conversations
• Spotting common escalation patterns (stereotyping, dismissing, contempt) and learning how to interrupt them
• Using practical depolarizing strategies to reduce heat and avoid the most common conversation pitfalls
• Having better conversations in real time through guided small-group practice using structured tools for listening, acknowledging, and sharing your perspective clearly

What this is — and isn’t

• This is: a respectful, skills-based training with guided practice and an opportunity to provide constructive feedback
• This is not: a debate, a rally, or an attempt to change anyone’s political views

Also check out other Workshops in Lakeside.