PRESS RELEASE: August 30, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Liz Joyner, Founder and President, The Village Square
Cell: 850-264-8785
Email: liz@villagesquare.us
Lashonda Curry, Communications Director, Florida Humanities
Phone: 727-873-2011 | Cell: 813-447-1752
Email: lcurry@flahum.org
Scholars and authors Dr. Rob Willer, Mónica Guzmán and Chloé Valdary will explore the issues during events Sept. 15, Oct. 27 and Dec. 1.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (August 30, 2022) –With political discourse reaching a fevered and fierce pitch, a growing movement aims to change that by encouraging people from opposing sides to truly talk across the aisle to find common ground. Leaders in that movement are featured speakers in three upcoming virtual events hosted by Florida Humanities and The Village Square. These online presentations are free and open to the public.
“How to Have Better Political Conversations or: Ending this Zombie Apocalypse” with Dr. Robb Willer
Thursday, September 15 | 7 p.m. ET
Dr. Robb Willer, Stanford University professor and director of the school’s Polarization and Social Change Lab, says his research on the political world’s accelerating anger shows everyone is speaking different languages.
Willer, a movie buff, likens the situation to zombie apocalypse films and he wonders if everyone is acting like “foot soldiers in the army of the undead.” He offers highly-relatable, user-friendly, and scientifically-grounded advice on how to improve the quality of political conversations and possibly ditch a few zombies along the way.
His writings have been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post and the LA Times. He has consulted on projects with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Open Society Foundation, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Last Resort Exoneration Project, the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, and the Voter Protection Program.
“I Never Thought of It That Way” with Mónica Guzmán
Thursday, October 27 | 7 p.m. ET
Mónica Guzmán is senior fellow for Public Practice, a nonprofit working to depolarize America through workshops, debates, book clubs, film clubs, training programs and more. She is host of “Northwest Newsmakers,” a monthly live interview series with leaders and luminaries around Seattle and Washington state.
Guzmán is also the author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times (BenBella Books, 2022). As the daughter of Mexican immigrants who share exact opposite political ideologies, Guzmán set out to find what was blinding us to mutual understanding, and discovered the most eye-opening tool we’re not using: our own curiosity.
A former columnist for The Seattle Times, her work has appeared in The Columbia Journalism Review and The Daily Beast. She was a 2016 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, where she studied how journalists can better meet the needs of a participatory public. She was named one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle and served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes.
“The Theory of Enchantment” with Chloé Valdary
Thursday, December 1 | 7 p.m. ET
Chloé Valdary is the owner of Theory of Enchantment, a company that uses the arts, pop culture and mindfulness to create a framework for compassionate antiracism and leadership. With a focus on social and emotional learning, character development and interpersonal growth, the theory is based on three principles: Treat people like human beings; criticize to uplift and empower; and root everything in love.
Valdary has lectured in universities across America, including Harvard and Georgetown. Her work has been covered in Psychology Today Magazine, and her writings have appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
These three virtual events are the latest in the multi-year digital series, “Democracy Reignited,” a partnership between Florida Humanities and The Village Square that explores the past, present and future of the American idea as it exists on paper, in the hearts of people and in practice.
“This high ideal of our framers requires that we become practiced at mutual respect and toleration,” says Liz Joyner, founder and president of The Village Square. “Our fall Democracy Reignited series brings three incredible civic leaders who will guide us back to both each other and our common cause.”
Previous Democracy Reignited programs have focused on shifting demographics, conflict resolution and an analysis of the Declaration of Independence. “The Fall programming is all about meaningful conversations, which create the foundation of a functioning democracy and are also at the heart of the Florida Humanities mission to preserve the culture and history of our state,” says Patricia Putman, associate director of Florida Humanities. “These speakers bring a lively and fresh energy to a dialogue that’s often difficult but so vital.”
About Florida Humanities
Florida Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the history, literature, culture, and personal stories that offer Floridians a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and their state. Since 1973, Florida Humanities has awarded more than $16 million in support of statewide cultural resources and public programs strongly rooted in the humanities. These programs preserve Florida’s diverse history and heritage, promote civic engagement and community dialogue, and provide opportunities to reflect on the future of Florida. Learn more at www.FloridaHumanities.org and follow on all social media platforms.
About The Village Square
The Village Square, founded in Florida in 2006, builds civic trust in hometowns between people and don’t look or think alike—in a 21st century revival of the American town hall. Learn more at http://tlh.villagesquare.us.
