How Do We Fix It?

DaviesContent

From politics to the personal, we're about bridging rigid partisan divides and listening with respect to different points of view. Our podcast is hosted by longtime journalist Richard Davies. We challenge authors, experts and provocateurs in a search for positive, practical ideas. Guests include David Blankenhorn, Mónica Guzmán, Dr. Francis Collins, and other leaders and members of Braver Angels. “How Do We Fix It?" - a repair manual for the real world. Produced by DaviesContent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. -17 Ч

    Braver Angels Courageous Citizens. Wilk Wilkinson and Maury Giles

    Conflict entrepreneurs get money, influence and power by sparking anger and outrage. The Braver Angels call for courageous citizenship does precisely the opposite. In this podcast we hear the case for citizen power not paralysis, action not reaction, and why building America's civic muscle is so much better than burning things down. Here is a passionate, thoughtful and curious conversation between Braver Angels C.E.O. Maury Giles and Wilk Wilkinson, Director of Braver Angels Media Operations. Both came to their work with the campaign after years in the private sector. Maury and Wilk are conservatives in a movement where a majority is either independent or leans blue. Our episode is the latest in more than two dozen "How Do We Fix It?" discussions on the people, projects and ideas of America's largest organization committed to civic renewal and building trust across partisan divides. The edited recording was first published in longer form by Wilk's podcast, "Derate The Hate". "At the end of the day the common thing we're trying to get to is how do you get out of the outrage cycle so you can see clearly what you're going to do next," says Maury. Hear about about America’s crisis of mistrust, and the responsibility of citizens to act with courage, instead of reacting with fury and fear. Gain a fully understanding of the case for courageous citizenship. Learn why it's important to recruit more conservatives to our movement. Get the scoop about "A Pledge Renewed", the theme of this year's Braver Angels Convention in Philadelphia. This episode covers them all and a good deal more. Here's a link to "The Power of Giving Away Power How The Best Leaders Learn to Let Go", by Matthew Barzun, mentioned by Maury during the conversation. Thank you to Wilk for his help and giving us permission to share this discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 мин.

  2. 13 ФЕВР.

    Minnesota ICE Surge Is Ending. What Happens Next? Melinda Voss and Scott Schluter

    The recent immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to several thousand arrests, mass detentions, angry protests, deepening political divides, and the deaths of two US citizens in Minneapolis is coming to an end.  What’s life been like for the residents of the Twin Cities during the recent surge of at least three thousand ICE agents on the streets? How will Braver Angels and other groups who work to reduce toxic political divides show up going forward? We consider these and other questions in this special episode of “How Do We Fix It?” Our guests are two leading members of Braver Angels Minnesota, Melinda Voss who leans blue, and Scott Schluter who leans red. Both say this has been a time of elevated emotions, anxiety and fear for public and personal safety. “It is so easy to be outraged when your fear level is so high,” Scott tells us. Discussions across divides have been difficult, he says. “Other than saying ‘ICE out’, then what happens?” Melinda says “the more we can sit down face-to-face with those we disagree, that in itself brings down the political temperature." Melinda and Scott acknowledge that a great deal of healing and community work will be needed in the coming weeks, months and years. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is an overwhelmingly liberal and progressive region. Having an honest and respectful conversation across divides requires courage, especially now. In this episode we look at the state of political polarization in the city, and talk about ideas to lower the temperature. We speak with Scott and Melinda about the work of Braver Angels in their state and what success could look like several years from now. Scott Schluter is the red-leaning Minnesota State Coordinator, having previously established the Minneapolis Alliance and leading the "World's Best Workforce" for the Minneapolis Public Schools. Scott developed key skills through his experience in retail sales and management, including bridging divides by asking thoughtful questions, listening well, seeking understanding and staying curious — qualities that align closely with the Braver Angels mindset. Melinda Voss is one of two state coordinators for Braver Angels Minnesota. She leans blue. Now retired, she was a staff writer for the Des Moines Register and Tribune for nearly 26 years, taught journalism at three universities, co-founded the Association of Health Care Journalists, starting as unpaid coordinator 1997-2000 and as executive director 2000-2004 and served as public relations director for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system 2005-2012. “How Do We Fix It?” reports on the people, projects, and ideas of Braver Angels. In recent episodes we’ve spoken with new CEO Maury Giles about recent initiatives and changes, Steve Saltwick about Citizen-Led Solutions, and Sam Rechak of the Braver Angels debate team. We are planning many more podcast episodes this year. A warm thank you to Minneapolis facilitator and connector Jessica Shyrack for timely and wise help as we prepared to produce this episode.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 мин.

  3. 30 ЯНВ.

    What Braver Angels Learns From Gen Z: Natalie Laroche and Genevieve Raushenbush

    If we’re going to get out of the political mess that we’re in right now, we will need a lot of help from Gen Z. Young people inherited our broken civic space, and they’re ones who will be the courageous citizens who   reimagine it. In this episode we learn from two former Braver Angels debate interns, Natalie LaRoche and Genevieve Raushenbush, about the skills, energy, and passion students and young people bring to the movement to depolarize politics. We also hear from them about they have learned at Braver Angels. Natalie LaRoche is the program manager for the Debate Team. Natalie was an intern in late 2021 and joined the Braver Angels staff a year later. She holds a BA in Government at Smith College.  Genevieve Raushenbush was a recent intern at Braver Angels. Now she works at Sway, a start up focused on mobilizing citizen-led voting groups. Genevieve holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and in 2025 was a legislate intern on the Hill. Both women are in their mid-twenties. “Young people are disengaging from political chaos,” says Natalie. But they’re also “really passionate about engaging in bridging movement exercises, whether with Braver Angels or partnership organizations like Bridge USA on campuses or Heterodox Academy. There are so many organizations in this space that really do engage young people.” Both Natalie and Genevieve share creative ideas about how young people can help Braver Angels up its game with new forms of digital outreach. We share two examples of short videos they created. Genevieve told us what she’s learning about reaching out and organizing voters in her work with Sway, “How Do We Fix It?” reports on the people, projects, and ideas of Braver Angels, the national movement working across tribal and partisan divides to heel our country and make a better world. Find more of our episodes about Braver Angels at our website. Subscribe to our latest episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 мин.

  4. 16 ЯНВ.

    Braver Angels Debates: Different and Fun. Sam Rechek

    For many Americans, taking part in a debate is just about the last thing they’d put on their dance card. But Braver Angels debates are different. In this episode Sam Rechek explains why. “Braver Angels debates are fun,” Sam tells us. “We’ve created a structure where people can have productive disagreements about contentious issues. That’s something many yearn for, and they get interested in really fast.” Unlike most debates, there are no “winners” or “losers”. Speakers at Braver Angels debates are often passionate, but they can’t interrupt or be snarky about the other side. Compelling arguments are made on both sides in a respectful way. Different viewpoints about an issue are warmly welcomed, but all comments must be addressed to the chair, not directly to the person you disagree with. “There’s a real hunger for environments where people can have productive disagreements and mutual understanding”, says Sam.  In our interview we also discuss LAPP skills, and the concept of courageous citizenship. Many of our beliefs about politics and controversial events are formed, or at least influenced, by fleeting impressions: Hot takes on social media, sound bites on TV and radio, and comments by those we know. This episode makes the case for going deeper and spending time with those you may passionately disagree with. Sam Rechek is Program Coordinator for the Braver Angels Debate Team. Several years ago as a undergraduate at the University of South Florida, Sam worked with FIRE - the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Heterodox Academy. He founded a student organization, First Amendment Forum—1AF—which developed into a venue for contentious discourse and advocacy for free speech principles. Sam holds a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from USF and an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London. "How Do We Fix It?" reports on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels, the nation's largest cross-partisan volunteer-led movement to bridge partisan divides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 мин.

  5. 19.12.2025

    Chats In A Park With Strangers: Chauncey Williams

    Pick a controversial topic. Whether it’s immigration, race, climate change, the role of religion, or the economy, many of our assumptions that we view as completely reasonable can seem whacky or wrong to others. This may well include very smart, thoughtful people, who’ve had very different life experiences than our own. Our guest for this episode is Chauncey Williams, a Democratic-leaning Braver Angels volunteer in Denver. He was shocked when Donald Trump was first elected President in 2016. But instead of retreating into his political silo, Chauncey began a unique project. On different occasions he set up a table with two chairs in local parks, and invited total strangers to have conversations about important public matters.  “One of the important things I came to realize is that I walk into a lot of those conversations with a host of assumptions about folks that aren’t always true,” Chauncey told us.  “I’ve often been fascinated and humbled by realizing my own limitations in knowledge, and having that revealed,” he said. “I’ve had this happen on more than one occasion… As uncomfortable as it is, I also welcome it.” In our revealing interview Chauncey shares what he learned from his “chats in a park” project. We hear two audio extracts from his nuanced conversations— one with an outspoken conservative who challenged Chauncey on his views of drop boxes during elections, and another with a recent immigrant from Ecuador who explained what diversity meant to him and his family. Chauncey Williams lives in Colorado where he is involved with the Southern Front Range and Denver Alliances. This year, he helped launch a "Share Your Story" event to learn how others came to their views on specific political topics and on politics, generally. He is a member of Braver Angels Denver Alliance. “How Do We Fix It?” reports on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels, the cross-partisan citizen's movement that brings red, blue, and other Americans together in a working alliance. Braver Angels is building new ways for Americans to talk to one another, and act as courageous citizens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 мин.

  6. 05.12.2025

    More Outrage? No! Citizen-Led Solutions Yes! Steve Saltwick

    More than at any time in our nation’s history, news coverage of politics and public events is dominated by national media, but many of the solutions to Americans toxic partisan divides are to be found at the local level. In this episode we hear from Steve Saltwick, the inaugural Senior Fellow of Braver Angels, and founding conservative co-chair of the Braver Angels Central Texas Alliance.  Steve is one of the leading lights of Citizen-Led Solutions, a new Braver Angels nationwide initiative that equips communities across the country to find common ground through building trust and solving contentious issues. Citizens of many different backgrounds and opinions are directly involved.  “It’s incredible when someone feels they’ve been heard,” Steve tells us. “A whole lot of people are talking at people. There’s not enough people talking with people about solving our problems.” Citizen-Led Solutions helps build civic muscle through action instead of outrage. “We’re not battling over one side vanquishing the other. It’s setting a norm of working together to solve problems our nation is facing,” he says. Steve is a neuroscientist who studies the human brain especially as it relates to artificial intelligence. He brings those skills to his work as a volunteer for Braver Angels. In this episode, we discuss two examples of Citizen-Led Solutions— in Newfield, New York, and Nashville, Tennessee. We also examine specific techniques used by Citizen-Led Solutions. “There’s a personal angle to this, a community angle, and a national angle,” says Steve. Learn more about Braver Angels here. Listen to our "How Do We Fix It?" podcasts about Braver Angels here. Braver Angels is America’s biggest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge toxic political divides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 мин.

  7. 25.11.2025

    Thanksgiving Special: Disagreeing Better With Those You Love. Mónica Guzmán

    Many people say Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday: No cards to be sent. No presents to be purchased. A pause with family and close friends before the year-end holiday rush.  Thanksgiving is about gratitude, but it can also be a time of anxiety, and even dread. What do you say to family members, friends and neighbors who vote for a candidate or political party you despise? How do you react when they launch into a rant or say something that you find offensive? We share tips about how to disagree better with those you love. Our guest is Braver Angels National Advisor Mónica Guzmán, author of the book “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times”. Móni is the liberal leaning, loving daughter of conservative parents. She’s had a lot of personal experience of connecting with people not like her. We hear several examples in this episode. Despite rigid political polarization among elites, everyday Americans may have much more in common than many of us believe. A new Gallup poll finds that more than four-in-five adults endorse compromise and reject political violence. Research for More In Common and other groups found that people have a distorted understanding of those on the other side of the political aisle. One-on-one and in-person conversations are the best way for us to overcome polarization in our personal lives, says Mónica. "The only context where we have our full arsenal of communication tools available is the in-person conversation." In our interview, Móni also shares valuable tips about how to listen with curiosity, lean into disagreements and turn them away from awkwardness and misunderstandings. Learn more about how to have better conversations with friends and loved ones who see the world differently than you do here at the Braver Angels website.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 мин.

  8. 07.11.2025

    Be The People. Healing America and Restoring Civic Muscle: Maury Giles

    Just over three months into his new role as leader of Braver Angels, we hear from CEO Maury Giles about his hopes, plans and goals for America's largest volunteer-led movement working to bridge partisan divides and disagree better for the common good. America has lost much of its civic muscle, and it's time to get it back, Maury tells our host, Richard Davies.  Rising polarization, declining trust in public institutions and the media, the spread of misinformation, the longest-ever government shutdown, and recent political violence are all signs that something is deeply wrong with our public square. "We're trying to help people understand first and foremost that the choice you have to make is that of personal agency: To say am I going to act or react?,” Maury says. "In this country we all have the ability to express a point of view and to try to work to solve things, and we don't have to rely on our elected officials to do that. But we’ve lost sight of our civic muscle.” Maury Giles came to Braver Angels after a career in journalism, politics, market research, communications strategy, experience design, and business development. Richard asked him about the challenges and opportunities he faces as a bridge builder at a difficult time. We hear about the case for citizen-led solutions, and why the true remedy to our civic challenges isn’t reaction, but action, with neighbors working with their neighbors across divisions and mistrust.  Over the past sixteen months, “How Do We Fix It?” has published more than twenty episodes about the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels. Find them at our website. Like and subscribe to our shows on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about Maury’s work and Braver Angels’ mission here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 мин.
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From politics to the personal, we're about bridging rigid partisan divides and listening with respect to different points of view. Our podcast is hosted by longtime journalist Richard Davies. We challenge authors, experts and provocateurs in a search for positive, practical ideas. Guests include David Blankenhorn, Mónica Guzmán, Dr. Francis Collins, and other leaders and members of Braver Angels. “How Do We Fix It?" - a repair manual for the real world. Produced by DaviesContent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • Автор
    DaviesContent
  • Годы выхода
    2015 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    446
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © All Rights Reserved
  • Сайт подкаста
    How Do We Fix It?

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