As many of you know, I have been involved for several years with an organization called “Braver Angels”, whose mission is “to practice courageous citizenship across political differences through skill-building, convening, and collaborative action”. Practically, this means that we need to learn to understand, value, and work with people whose views differ from ours. Otherwise, our future is one of increasing polarization and chaos.

This week, Braver Angels is holding its annual convention in Philadelphia, at Temple University. There are around 900 attendees. I’m involved as a volunteer. I learned on Wednesday that the “plenary” (all-attendee) sessions will be available to everyone on line, and I encourage you to take advantage.

The live streams will be on the Braver Angels YouTube channel. The following link will take you there:  https://www.youtube.com/BraverAngels

There are five plenary sessions. Here are the dates and times:

Thursday, June 25, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Inheritance and responsibility. 1776 to 2026: a pledge renewed. This opening plenary will focus on the importance of the Declaration of Independence and what the Constitution asks of us as citizens.

Friday, June 26, 8:30-10:00 a.m. Renewal begins with me. There will be a panel discussion with pairs of family members with stories about why they have come and what they have come through, followed by a keynote on “A new paradigm for bringing people together”.

Friday, June 26, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Action at scale, focused on immigration.The biggest issue that Braver Angels has chosen to focus on currently is immigration. This session will feature interviews with US Representatives Tom Souzzi and Brian Fitzpatrick (who have been working with the Citizen’s Commission on Immigration), with participants in the Braver Angels “Common Ground” workshops on immigration, and with members of the Immigration Policy Roundtable.

Saturday, June 27, 8:30-10:00 a.m. Renewal begins together. New programs, initiatives, tools, and partnerships that Braver Angels is rolling out this year. In particular, Braver Angels (which is growing rapidly on its own) is also partnering with a number of other organizations that are pursuing similar goals.

Saturday, June 27, 3:30-5:00 p.m. A pledge renewed. What is the relevance today of the pledge the Founding Fathers made to each other in 1776? Where do we go from here?

I think you will find these sessions valuable.