Grassroots Cross-Difference Conversations: American Memories and Hopes
A national program of grassroots cross-difference conversations about our nation's shared history, our place-linked memories, and our hopes for our local, national, and global future would help Americans build our habits and capacities for collaborative democratic governance. It could bring together people who differ in race/ethnicity, religion, generation, gender, sexual orientation, education, occupation, income/wealth, ...more »
A national program of grassroots cross-difference conversations about our nation's shared history, our place-linked memories, and our hopes for our local, national, and global future would help Americans build our habits and capacities for collaborative democratic governance. It could bring together people who differ in race/ethnicity, religion, generation, gender, sexual orientation, education, occupation, income/wealth, and political affiliation to tell a new, shared story of who we have been as an American people and who we aspire to be as one democratic people among many in our global future. Broad policy goals also would emerge from this process, but its most important aspects would be getting comfortable talking with and learning from neighbors whom we usually have no opportunity to meet. Local conversations could be held in any public or private space in which all neighbors would feel welcome. Memories, hopes, and policy recommendations that each group chooses to report from their local conversation could be gathered and organized by region and state as well as by themes on a White House website that would offer opportunities for comment, including by citizens of other nations.
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