Educational forum - “Common Ground in a Polarized World”
The Mountain Mail January 9, 2009 by Arlene Shovald

The Convergence Project will host an educational forum entitled, “Common Ground in a Polarized World” on Thursday, January 22nd from 6-8 PM at the Salida Regional Library meeting room. The public is invited and admission is free.

The purpose of the forum will be to discuss how the world got to be so polarized, and how we can find common ground despite our differences. The Convergence Project is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that believes that people are more alike than different, but it recognizes that, for many reasons, we tend to focus more on our differences than we do on our similarities. The Convergence Project helps dissimilar or opposing groups find their common ground without a compromise or a “giving up” of their values or belief systems. Then it helps the groups identify a project that they can do together that will benefit both the groups and their community.

“What we do is research-based,” stated Convergence Project Executive Director, Brock Oyler. “A body of research called Intergroup Contact Theory shows that when dissimilar groups come together, prejudice is reduced and trust is increased.” The Convergence Project also uses a research-based approach to facilitate common ground between the groups. “Group members are asked to do a bit of writing about their thoughts and feelings. We ask them to focus a bit on what they believe, hope, and fear, and we find that it makes the effect of the process much more lasting.”

This year, The Convergence Project will expand its mission to other communities across the state, throughout the country, and around the world. Training community-based facilitators called Path Guides to conduct this process in their community will do this. “We are seeking volunteers internationally, and we have already had inquiries from people around the world to bring our process to their community. In fact, we have had so much interest that we are looking to train a Path Guide facilitator for this area so that we can focus more on expanding our efforts elsewhere” Oyler said.

Examples of some of the projects The Convergence Project has done in Chaffee County include helping to build a geodesic dome for children’s gardening, work on the newly built playground at the Middle School, and repainting the Salida Senior Center. They are currently involved with the City of Salida and the Salida Business Alliance to help bring recycling containers to downtown Salida.

For more information, you may contact The Convergence Project at 303 519 2555 or by emailing info@TheConvergenceProject.org or visiting the website at www.TheConvergenceProject.org.