FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Identity

New Women's March Campaign Wants You to Reach Out to Conservatives

"Daring Discussions" launches on Mother's Day and urges Americans to sit down with someone they disagree with to engage in constructive conversation.
Photo by Kisha Bari

Women's March, the activist group that organized the historical Women's March on Washington in January, is launching a campaign this Mother's Day called Daring Discussions. The project aims to "spark intersectional dialogue" and "provide a roadmap to encourage authentic exchanges, bridge social divides, and promote cultural healing," according to their press release.

Daring Discussions was inspired by the origins of Mother's Day: In the years following 1865, a woman named Anna Jarvis united mothers of fallen soldiers from opposing sides of the Civil War to make peace with one another. To honor that legacy, the campaign encourages people to engage in constructive, calm, 90-minute conversations with friends or family members who hold opposing views on issues ranging from Islamophobia to income inequity.

Advertisement

Their site includes a "toolkit" with instructions, sample questions, and guiding principles for these difficult conversations, such as "suspend your first judgement" and "be aware of the privilege you hold in a conversation," among others. The site also features a survey that participants can take after their discussions so that the platform can gage the efficacy of the campaign along the way.

Daring Discussions' launch video features numerous prominent activists such as Linda Sarsour, an anti-Islamophobia activist and lead plaintiff in the case against Donald Trump's "Muslim Ban", and criminal justice activist Carmen Perez.

Read More: The Black Muslim Activist Tearing Down the Boundaries Around Womanhood

Though the campaign encourages people to open a dialogue with someone they don't see eye to eye with, Women's March tells Broadly that "the goal of unconditional acceptance is not to learn how to become tolerant of bigotry and oppression," but rather to learn "to encounter each other with honesty and compassion [and] create space for more of both in the world."