Dear Students, Staff and Faculty:
To help us reach across political differences, engage in meaningful
dialogue, and move forward collectively, the University of Minnesota
Twin Cities is hosting forums for all five system campuses. The forums
are open to our students, staff and faculty. These With Malice Toward None gatherings are developed by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Braver Angels organization.
There will be two stages and opportunities for engagement. In the first
stage, groups of people who feel similarly about the presidential
election will discuss how they want to engage with those who feel
differently. In the second stage, groups of people who hold differing
political views about the presidential election will come together to
better understand each other, find common ground, and in the words of
Braver Angels, “build the capacity of we-the-people to depolarize our
politics and forge a new citizenship.”
Please note that these forums are not meant to obscure strong political
differences or encourage people to support a particular candidate or
party. Instead, they aim to advance dialogue, encourage respect for
others, and build connections for civic work across differences.
We invite you to register
for the initial gathering with people who feel similarly about the
presidential election. You can select to join either a large
University-hosted gathering or conduct a small self-hosted gathering.
Bill Doherty, a professor in the College of Education and Human
Development on the Twin Cities campus, will facilitate the gatherings
and is a co-founder of Braver Angels. If you are uncertain how they feel
about the election, please participate in the group with which you most
align.
After participating in the first forum, you can decide whether to sign
up for a second gathering with those who feel differently about the
election. The initial sessions will be held at the following times:
Generally Pleased
November 16, 7-8:30 p.m.
November 19, 2-3:30 p.m.
Generally Displeased
November 17, 3:30-5 p.m.
November 19, 7-8:30 p.m.
If you are unable to make these forums, but would like to participate in future Braver Angels interactions, please review the Braver Angels Minnesota website. If you have further questions, please contact the Twin Cities Office for Student Affairs at osaum@umn.edu.
Sincerely,
Fernado Delgado, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Lisa Erwin, Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students |
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