National group has Michigan chapter
President Abraham Lincoln, seeking to avoid a civil war, ended his first inaugural address in 1861 by appealing to "the better angels of our nature."
Amid the divisive political climate of the past few years, a grassroots organization inspired by Lincoln's words has attracted about 44,780 members in all 50 states, including 751 members in Michigan.
Braver Angels (originally called Better Angels) formed in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election with the intent of depolarizing politics.
The organization's stated pledge is as follows:
"As individuals, we try to understand the other side’s point of view, even if we don’t agree with it.
"In our communities, we engage those we disagree with, looking for common ground and ways to work together.
"In politics, we support principles that bring us together rather than divide us."
Ciaran O'Connor, chief marketing officer of Braver Angels, explained the genesis of the movement.
"We were just concerned with the growing polarization of the country and the fact that people were no longer seeing political opponents as wrong or misguided, but as enemies," O'Connor said.
Braver Angels proceeded to organize workshops around the country that seek to bring together those who disagree politically, O'Connor said.
"It's a workshop that’s designed to help people better understand each other's perspective and reduce the stereotyped thinking we all do," he said.
The organization changed its name to "Braver Angels" last year.
"Part of it was that we wanted to emphasize the notion of courage and bravery," O'Connor said. "People think about respect and compassion and civility. But at a time when the country is so polarized, we think it really takes courage to do this work (of bridging divides). So that’s why we’ve been talking about the braver angels of our nature, not just the better angels of our nature."
In Michigan, Sarah Brabbs, an author and speaker from Milan, is the co-coordinator of the state chapter of Braver Angels.
"After the election last (November), we had a spike (in interest from the public), and also after the 6th (of January when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol)," Brabbs said. "It’s just people desperate to do something positive to heal the fabric of the divide. There’s just more urgency."
For those who want to learn more, Brabbs recommends the online workshop "Depolarizing Within," which will next be held Saturday, March 6 from 1-3 p.m. Information and registration are at https://bit.ly/3aHPJ7n
A follow-up workshop to that is "Skills for Bridging the Divide" on Saturday, March 13 from 1-3 p.m. The registration link for that workshop is https://bit.ly/37z4O9l
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February 22, 2021 at 03:51AM
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