Uniting Fractured Communities Through Dialogue

“We lose so much potential when we focus on our differences.”You’ve probably noticed that our political landscape is dire. Everyone’s fighting, everyone has an enemy, and we’re no closer to solving society’s critical problems. How can we fix this?In this episode with Kathleen Oweegon, discover amazing ways to start tuning in to the other side and understand your “enemy.”Kathleen talks about the magic of using certain questions in dialogue to bridge the gap and bring people together. She tells incredible anecdotes about times she’s seen communities rise above their differences. The more we positively interact with people who are different from us, the more we can work toward an omni-win future together. Listen now to be inspired by this profound episode. Episode Highlights:Kathleen and Duncan discuss how dialogue is severely underused when it could solve many problems.Kathleen tells a powerful story about bringing police officers and activists together with dialogue after an event where both were injured.Discover the key guidelines for successful dialogue.Understand the distinction between dialogue and debate.Duncan and Kathleen talk about how scary the current state of polarization and objectification is in our world.Learn how our defensive behaviors further the divide.Kathleen tells a beautiful story about uncovering the stories below piercings and tattoos About this episode's guest: Kathleen is an educator, facilitator, mediator, communication coach, and the founder of Bridges of Peace, providing these services throughout the U.S. and around the world. She hosts the weekly podcast, “Co-creating Peace”, which focuses on conscious communication and conflict transformation. The focus of her work is to help communities, organizations, and individuals become empowered to fulfill their greatest potential through dialogue, negotiation, and collaboration. This often involves bringing seemingly discordant voices together in collaborations that result in mutual understanding, wisdom and growth. Connect with Kathleen: Email: oweegon@bridgesofpeace.comWebsiteLinkedInTwitter: @KOweegon; @CocreatingPeacePodcast Here are some resources mentioned in the show. “Lawyer: McKinney police officer ‘allowed his emotions to get the better of him’” (Washington Post)“McKinney Cop’s Lawyer Says He’s Sorry For Pool Party Response” (NBC News)“Are police required to protect people during mass shootings? The legal answer is no” (Fort Worth Star Telegram)Uvalde, Texas, police had no legal duty to act, experts say; Supreme Court precedent cited (ABA Journal)For more resources and content from this episode go to the episode page HERE Where Else can you find this episode?  Watc