At the first Ramona Braver Angels workshop, the 40 participants were grouped into pairs and directed to ask their partners questions that were unrelated to politics.
Where were you raised? How did you come to Ramona? What was your upbringing that shaped your life today? were among the questions at the April 4 workshop at Ramona Town Hall.
The goal of the Ramona chapter of the national group was to take the first steps toward bridging the partisan divide by having participants engage in structured conversations, organizers said. The theme of the event was “Our Curious Conversations.”
Ramona resident Richard Madeira said he came to the event looking to find tools to communicate with other people.
“I feel like there’s a great polarization and separation in our country and even in our community,” said Madeira, who describes himself as sometimes moderate and sometimes liberal. “It’s good to find tools and vehicles to understand and communicate and dialogue with each other.
“It’s very sad all the separation going on in our country,” he added. “People feel like they can’t talk to each other.”
Participants were encouraged to partner with someone who they hadn’t met or didn’t know very well. Each pair took turns answering the questions and telling their life story to an unfamiliar person in 5 minutes each.
The activity was designed so participants would get to know each other and discover a new friend as part of the early stages of building bridges, said Ramona Braver Angels Co-Chair Verna Silvia.
Julie Gallant
The first official workshop of the Ramona Braver Angels Alliance engaged 40 participants in sharing information about their own backgrounds with a partner. (Julie Gallant)
After the Q&A session each pair was asked to describe their partner. Common threads appeared — some said their partner was raised by good parents, some pursued higher education, and many of them had moved to different states in their lifetimes. A number of them also said they appreciated Ramona’s small-town, rural vibe where neighbors support each other.
Ramona resident Lori Vouros said after the Q&A that she liked the nonpolitical format.
“I met a new person,” Vouros said. “It was entertaining and fun. I don’t have any problem with talking with new people. My problem is talking with family members on the other side. I’m hoping to get insights on that, maybe in another session.”
Vouros’ partner was Sue Gwizdak, a Ramona resident since 1978.
Gwizdak said even though she knew many people at the event, she learned new things about Vouros and the other attendees.
“I found out we have a lot in common,” said Gwizdak, adding that she would attend another Braver Angels meeting. “It was eye-opening to see the things people had in common. I would talk about politics as long as it’s a civil discourse.”
Some attendees said they came to the Braver Angels workshop because of the goals identified by Braver Angels: Build relationships across political differences; practice respect, curiosity and listening; strengthen community bonds and neighborliness; and develop life skills for disagreement free of dehumanization.
Julie Gallant
Participants in a Ramona Braver Angels workshop at Ramona Town Hall on April 4 said they were seeking communication tools to bridge the partisan divide. (Julie Gallant)
Rita Powell, Richard Madeira’s wife, said the lack of communication is related to the disappearance of basic foundations.
“De-funding education is really disturbing to me,” said the former community college counselor. “Education helps all of us be more knowledgeable and understand situations. Without education you would do whatever other people say, but if you’re educated you can make your own decisions.”
Bo Varnado said she was seeking strategies for communicating with people she may not agree with in a productive and peaceful manner.
“I want to learn more about the organization because I believe in peace,” the Ramona resident said. “I want people to get along and work for the common good of humanity and that won’t happen if we don’t get along.”
Silvia said she connected with Braver Angels after going through a similar exercise when she was concerned about polarization and negativity in the country. As a liberal she said she was paired with a conservative man.
“We didn’t come to a consensus that day but I walked away with a friend,” Silvia said at the start of the meeting. “I thought this was doable.”
At the end of the meeting, participants suggested Ramona Braver Angels Alliance reach out to connect with more men and young adults.
Although a follow-up meeting has not yet been scheduled, Silvia said workshops will be held in the future to encourage people to be sensitive to “people on the other side of issues.”
“It went extremely well and people were engaged,” Silvia said near the end of the event. “They seemed to really enjoy talking with one another.”
For more information, email Silvia at vsilvia@braverangels.org or visit the website BraverAngels.org.