Bridging divides is not about being on the same page; it’s about being able to disagree well. And it all relies on one very important foundation: a trusting relationship.

On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson is joined by founder and CEO of The Village Square, Liz Joyner, to discuss the importance of building trust before you try and build out bridges between disagreements on contentious issues.

Liz discusses how our relationships with each other across ideological differences are the foundation of our democracy. She’s spent the past 15 years working to facilitate a flourishing civil society in Tallahassee, Florida where she regularly holds events that bring the community together across differences to build trust and understanding.

You’ll hear her talk about how our democracy is designed to work because of our differences and not in-spite of them. And how coming together to bridge divides is not about being on the same page, but about disagreeing well, so that we can all help each other see our blind spots and avoid problems.