Braver Angels Ambassadors are among the most courageous of courageous citizens.

Not only do they bridge the partisan divide, these volunteers meet people where they are. At meetings and events across the country, they go speak about Braver Angels as they try to convince skeptics that rebuilding civic trust is a cause worth supporting.

In this episode, we hear from Barbara Hancin and Ron “Sugar Bear” McFarland, volunteer co-chairs of the Braver Angels ambassadors program.

“What we’re were doing is giving hope to people,” says Barbara. “We don’t have to stay in the rancor. There are ways to build bridges and we’ll help you do that.”

Barbara has more than 35 years of experience in higher education, with expertise in linguistics and second language learning, global studies, and academic administration. She’s a moderator for workshops that bring people together across differences. Barbara leans Blue and lives in Colorado. Ron leans Red and calls home home Ames Iowa. A former star college football player at Iowa State University, Ron has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an educator, coach, mentor and civic bridge builder.

In this episode, we hear about the mission of Braver Angels Ambassadors, plus exactly how and why they do their work. We share compelling and surprising examples of how Ron and Barbara engage with total strangers.

Both of them say their volunteering has brought personal rewards. “It made me be more patient,” says Ron. “It changed me to understand that just because I think something should be a certain way that doesn’t mean the other person agrees.”

“How Do We Fix It?” publishes frequent reports on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels, the largest nation group of citizen volunteers who are working to overcome America's divides and restore civic trust.

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Is it possible to find points of agreement on some of the most heated and divisive issues in American politics? Can people who profoundly disagree sit down and learn from each other? The answers to both questions is an emphatic "yes!".

In this episode we hear about the current work of the Citizens Commission on Immigration from its Director, Braver Angels co-founder, David Lapp.

The goal of the Citizens Commission is to demonstrate to Congress and the nation that Americans with differing views on immigration can find common ground. The Commission works in a red/blue balanced way and includes Americans from all sides of the issue. Over the past two years, grassroots Americans and national experts and advocates of all sides of the immigration issue have met together.

"There have now been about 50 immigration events across the country," David tells us. "We can find some meaningful areas of agreement." Large majorities of participants from the left and right agree on the need for secure borders, and believe that businesses should face penalties for hiring undocumented workers. Some agreement was also found on a pathway to citizenship for "Dreamers" who came to the US as children.

The Commission was launched after about 750 delegates at the 2024 Braver Angels National Convention voted to establish immigration as a Braver Angels priority issue. By the end of this year The Commission aims to hold one hundred grassroots events across the country, and eight National Roundtable meetings.

The point of having a citizens commission on immigration speaks to what Abraham Lincoln said: "In America we're a government of the people, by the people, for the people", says David. "Our laws and our policies should reflect what we the ordinary people think."

In our interview we also discuss what David has learned in his years of committed work with Braver Angels. If you want to get a sense of the heart and soul of this movement, it's well worth listening to him. Before helping to start Braver Angels, David spent several years interviewing working-class Ohioans about their life experiences and families. He lives with his wife, Amber, and their six children in South Lebanon, Ohio—the site of the first-ever Braver Angels workshop in December 2016.

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Conflict entrepreneurs get money, influence and power by sparking anger and outrage. The Braver Angels call for courageous citizenship does precisely the opposite. In this podcast we hear the case for citizen power not paralysis, action not reaction, and why building America's civic muscle is so much better than burning things down.

Here is a passionate, thoughtful and curious conversation between Braver Angels C.E.O. Maury Giles and Wilk Wilkinson, Director of Braver Angels Media Operations. Both came to their work with the campaign after years in the private sector. Maury and Wilk are conservatives in a movement where a majority is either independent or leans blue.

Our episode is the latest in more than two dozen "How Do We Fix It?" discussions on the people, projects and ideas of America's largest organization committed to civic renewal and building trust across partisan divides. The edited recording was first published in longer form by Wilk's podcast, "Derate The Hate".

"At the end of the day the common thing we're trying to get to is how do you get out of the outrage cycle so you can see clearly what you're going to do next," says Maury.

Hear about about America’s crisis of mistrust, and the responsibility of citizens to act with courage, instead of reacting with fury and fear. Gain a fully understanding of the case for courageous citizenship. Learn why it's important to recruit more conservatives to our movement. Get the scoop about "A Pledge Renewed", the theme of this year's Braver Angels Convention in Philadelphia. This episode covers them all and a good deal more.

Here's a link to "The Power of Giving Away Power How The Best Leaders Learn to Let Go", by Matthew Barzun, mentioned by Maury during the conversation. Thank you to Wilk for his help and giving us permission to share this discussion.

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