Safe spaces to listen and be heard
We facilitate face-to-face, intentional listening and dialogue between people of different cultures, races, faiths, social class and political opinions.
Conversations and narratives on many topics are increasingly polarised, and the art of listening to people we disagree with is fading. It’s all too easy to depend on our social media feeds and stay within our bubble, casting judgement on those who see things differently.
There is a pressing need for spaces where we can meet face to face and listen to one another. Spaces where we can disagree well whilst holding respect for one another. This helps to build our understanding so we are better equipped to live well with difference.
Current Issues & Events
Spaces that facilitate dialogue and intentional listening between people of different views in response to current issues and events.
Around Sacred Texts
Small groups that meet regularly to encourage deeper connections through exploring sacred texts.
Community Conversations
Large or intimate spaces where we can rebuild fractured relationships or strengthen connections between those who feel distant.
Current Issues & Events
We can hold strong opinions about issues, especially those that directly impact our lives. And yet, these opinions sometimes clash with those of others. Bridging these divides and building understanding and trust takes time. There may be no simple solutions to the conflicts that arise but listening to one another is a great place to start.
These events enable us to have good conversations – and lots of them – especially with people we may not agree with, or may not normally talk to.
We will seek to create a safe and comfortable environment, and we’ll facilitate the dialogue, allowing everyone the opportunity to speak. This is not a space for insisting on one particular point of view. It’s a space where we can disagree well, whilst holding respect for one another.
Around Sacred Texts
Our faith traditions play a significant role in our lives. They have been used to create divisions between us and have the power to bring people together. In our increasingly diverse communities, we are encountering people of different faiths, cultures and beliefs, which can lead to misunderstanding and mistrust. There is a profound need for spaces that bring people together across lines of faith and belief to build understanding and develop trust in one another.
Around Sacred Texts brings people together to engage in respectful dialogue using sacred texts as a basis for our conversations. It is not about seeking agreement but rather exploring the texts and their possible interpretations across faith boundaries, and learning to ‘disagree better’, while perhaps even creating stronger bonds across faith communities.
Community Conversations
We all hope for people to thrive in the spaces where we live and work. The reality is fractures form, with some in our communities feeling misunderstood or not recognised. Unless we are mindful, the gaps between us can begin to grow, leaving us more disconnected and distrustful.
We facilitate community conversations – bringing people together to begin to rebuild fractured relationships, or strengthen connections between those who feel distant. For example, by sharing and celebrating festivals across difference, or by facilitating intimate listening events with people in a community or workplace settings.
Contact us if you are interested in having our trained facilitators host a listening space within your organisation.
Come to a Listening Space
Join us at an upcoming event or contact poppi.toon@bridgesforcommunities.com to hear how we can facilitate a listening space in your organisation.
Partners of Listening Spaces include:
