Using media to bridge divides.
The Problem:
Some communities have become so ideologically divided that people with different beliefs see each other as enemies.
This leads to anger, anxiety, isolation, extremism and misinformation.
Our Solution:
Curious, generous civil dialogue is crucial to sustaining cohesive communities, and is a proven pathway to bridge-building and depolarization.
We Tell & Support & Teach to Tell stories of people talking to each other about their different beliefs.
Telling
We produce content which shows civil dialogue in action and humanizes difference. Then we think of inventive ways to get it out to people.
Our first project is a documentary series of 26 short episodes, based in a county in rural Utah which has some of the least belief in climate change in the USA. Instead of focusing on divisions, each 4-7 minute episode looks at how different beliefs form, and how to have productive conversations across idealogical divides.
There are people out there already doing fantastic work in bridging. We support them through pro-bono documentary, commissioned work, funding support, and educational resources.
Our first step is building a library of resources, drawn from interviews with thought-leaders in the worlds of politics, media, tech and academia, who have experience in community cohesion and depolarization.
Our second step is raising funds for projects which use innovative media and tech to bridge divides.
Supporting
Teaching to Tell
We are committed to teaching others to heal divides in their own communities.
The humble interview is one of the most compelling ways to build a bridge between different people. It provides a space for listening, learning, and healing, so it’s at the core of our work.
Our first teaching project is a workshop-based program to help young people use the skills of documentary interview to bridge divides in their own communities, while learning important career and life skills. We call this a “Depolarization Day” and it includes lessons, screenings, and activities.
Who we are.
We are a collection of experts from various fields, with experience in documentary film, technology, the social sciences, community outreach, and nonprofit consulting.
Let’s work on this together.
As our organization grows, we are building a network of creators, teachers, thinkers and community volunteers. Get in touch if you are interested in social cohesion through civil dialogue projects - we have a million ideas to try together.
Drop us a line at info@socialcohesionlab.org