How to Listen to and Build Allies When We Disagree
We need to build friendships and win people over who we strongly disagree with to have a large, more informed electorate that will vote for candidates who support climate action. Sustaining All Life/United to End Racism will share tools for listening to people when we strongly disagree with everything they say.
Many people working to end the climate emergency are understandably working on the U.S. elections. The 2024 elections and the climate crisis are leaving many of us feeling overwhelmed by discouragement, anxiety, hopelessness, and anger. For this reason, Sustaining All Life/United to End Racism is offering events during NYC Climate Week supporting those who are working in any capacity on the election, trying to increase voter turnout, and trying to get candidates elected who will endorse work on climate change. Building friends and winning people over who we strongly disagree with is a key part now of growing a larger, more informed electorate, and long term, a movement for lasting change. In this workshop we will demonstrate tools used in Sustaining All Life/United to End Racism for listening to people we disagree with, identifying why it’s so hard for us to listen to certain ideas. We will also practice how to listen effectively to those we disagree with, and then, as it makes sense, offer new information.
Optional one hour listening circle follows.