Are you tired of yelling at your TV set?  Have you resorted to trolling “the other” on social media?  Are you no longer talking to “those” family members and friends?

If the answer is yes to any one of these questions, let alone all three, we invite you to reject the chaos and choose a better way.  How about we figure out how to talk to each other so we can actually focus on solving our nation’s problems?

That’s what the democracy project, Civil Dialogues, is all about.  Creating a safe space for community conversation on some of the important topics of the day, in partnership with presidential library foundations, the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, and others.

Immigration. Media. Voting Rights.  Energy and Climate. American Foreign Policy. Our Constitutional Democracy.  And so much more…

No yelling. No vitriol.  Just dialogue. And a focus on how we get our elected officials to do the same.

Americans listening, learning, engaging and yes, disagreeing, without fear of judgment or demonization. Keeping their eyes on the prize of a healthy, functioning democracy that works for us all.

At each Civil Dialogues town hall, we begin with historical perspective of the topic at hand. A moderator then guides a panel of subject experts, not elected officials, in conversation, and engages audience members with the panelists and each other. Participants may also take part in facilitated conversations to literally practice how to talk with those on the other side. 

The goal is for everyone to walk away with a better understanding of the topic’s nuances, each other’s different perspectives, potential steps to arrive at solutions, and shared trust that constructive dialogue across differences helps strengthen our democracy. They should also walk away with actionable tools to keep civil dialogue going within their personal and professional networks, as well as how to hold their elected representatives accountable.

Who came up with this ambitious idea?  We did!  Jean Becker, author and former chief of staff to President George H. W. Bush, and Linda Lorelle, entrepreneur, Emmy and Gracie Award-winning journalist and host of Our Voices Matter podcast.

We are grateful to our launch partners, the George and Barbara Bush Presidential Library Foundation, the LBJ Library Foundation, the Clinton Presidential Center, the Baker Institute for Public Policy and Research, AllSides, and Living Room Conversations.  And now that the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy is an official partner, we are poised to make an even greater impact.l

We are grateful for your consideration of financial support to help expand our efforts as we travel across America taking these town halls to your community.  

Our country is at a pivotal moment.  Our divisions remain deep.  It’s up to "we the people" to repair them.  

Please help Civil Dialogues reach as many Americans as possible in the days and years to come.  Your donation today will reverberate throughout communities across our great country as we stitch together the tattered fabric of our democracy. 

So, we invite you to stop yelling at your TV, stop trolling “the other” on social media, and start engaging in real conversation that has the power to bring us together.

Because a thriving democracy depends upon our ability to talk to each other. 

Yours in Peace & Unity,

Linda & Jean

Disclaimer: Civil Dialogues (the “Organization”) is a domestic nonprofit corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Texas; EIN 99-4694429. The Organization has received preliminary approval from the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The finality of such tax-exempt status remains subject to the Organization's receipt of official determination documentation from the IRS. Contributors to the Organization do not have advance assurance of deductibility because the Organization’s exemption is pending. If the Organization ultimately qualifies for exemption for the period in which the contribution is made, the contribution will be tax-deductible by the contributor. Alternatively, if the Organization ultimately does not qualify for exemption, then the contribution will not be tax deductible.