Ostrolenk speaks with Joan Blades, co-founder of Living Room Conversations (https://www.livingroomconversations.org/), an open source effort to build respectful connections across ideological, cultural, and party lines while embracing our core-shared values. Blades details the purpose and process of Living Room Conversations, though which 2 people invite 2 friends into a six-person structured conversation on a given topic. Participants focus not on talking points, but rather each person’s relationship and experience with the topic. The goal is not to change each other’s minds, but to listen to each other and appreciate alternative views. We’ve lost part of our human to human connection, Blades communicates, and it is through mutual respect that we can begin problem solving.

To learn more about Living Room Conversations, visit their website (https://www.livingroomconversations.org/) and find them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LivingRoomConversations/). Living Room Conversations is also offering resources to help people stay connected during this time of physical distancing (https://www.livingroomconversations.org/coronavirus-resources/).

Today’s show is brought to you by Synergy Float Center (https://synergyfloatcenter.com/), a premier floatation therapy center located in Old Town Alexandria.