Braver Angels
Turning on my radio this morning, I feared the news I would hear about the Russian attack on Ukraine. Indeed, the news was horrible. What I also heard, however, was examples of the worldwide community coming together to find a solution to the problem of a small country being invaded by a larger military superpower.
Putin miscalculated the depth and breadth of the divisiveness among us, both within the United States and across the world. It appears he counted on his long-standing campaign of disinformation to render us so fragmented, so full of distrust and so completely divided and at odds with one another, that we would be unable to put our differences aside in order to stand up to the bully.
As I reflect on the situation in Ukraine, I have been thinking about our country and how we can pull together as one nation, indivisible, in spite of the polarization that has been dividing us. The desire for unity has led me to become involved with Braver Angels.
Braver Angels is a national organization created in 2016 to help bridge political divides by fostering respectful conversation. Instead of seeking to change minds, its goals include finding common ground around an identified problem, and cultivating that common ground to find solutions. I have been a member of Braver Angels for close to two years. Through my participation, I have the opportunity to listen to others, which in turn allows me to hear and understand different perspectives on current affairs. Other participants report that they appreciate the opportunity to air their thoughts without fear of reprisal, recrimination or damaging relationships. I have learned skills to participate in difficult conversations from the Braver Angels-branded workshops, and I have learned how other Granite Staters view issues of local concern, most recently perspectives on the role of government in public health issues.
The New Hampshire Alliance of Braver Angels provides a platform for discussing current local and national events, fostering candid conversation in a respectful manner, and — when possible — collaborating on solutions that individuals can bring to community or state leaders. Topics for discussion and the process to be followed are developed by the local participants under the guidance of a volunteer steering committee.
The next Braver Angels of New Hampshire Alliance meeting will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, March 22, from 7-p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The topic is “Energy resilience in New Hampshire in response to events in Ukraine.”
We welcome and support different perspectives. In fact, we need all perspectives represented in order to achieve our goal of balancing thoughts and opinions. We invite you to bring your thoughts to the (Zoom) table. Contact me at [email protected] to sign up for the Tuesday, March 22, meeting.
If you like what you see and hear, we encourage you to join our planning committee as well. You can learn more about the Braver Angels national organization at braverangels.org.
Martha Kruse is co-chair for Braver Angels New Hampshire Alliance.
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