The League of Women Voters of Northeast Tennessee will host a fall series on “Finding Common Ground in Polarized Times."
 
January will begin the 2024 election cycle, but before that starts in earnest we would like to take the opportunity to look at strategies for civil engagement.
 
Join us for our three fall programs on finding common ground in polarized times! Polarization is a major driver in the current political climate, and many are concerned about it.  However, polarization obscures the fact that across the political spectrum there are many shared political preferences—our common ground. 

Protecting democracy and civic engagement require active participation, working with others with whom we disagree, obtaining accurate information for informed decision-making, and communicating across beliefs. Extreme polarization can undermine all of these; finding common ground can strengthen them.
 
On September 17, we will present general information about factors related to polarization and common ground and how these manifest in our local community.  This program includes discussion among a panel community members. 
 
On October 22 we will have an interactive presentation on dealing with misinformation/disinformation and discerning accurate information for informed decision-making. 
 
 On November 12 we will provide an opportunity to develop the skills needed for effectively communicating across differing beliefs, opinions, and conflict.  
 
After each program, we will schedule an evening Zoom meeting for further exploring the topics for those who could not attend or who wish to continue the discussion (these dates are TBD.)
 
All in-person meetings are Sundays (Sept. 17, Oct. 22, and Nov. 12) from 2p-3:30p at the Community Room (upstairs) at the Food City at Sunset and State of Franklin in Johnson City.
 
For democracy to work, our civic engagement must be strong. Our fall programs are designed to equip us for this work.