Picture this: You’re gathered around a dinner table for a meal with loved ones. But you’re on edge because seated across from you is a family member whose politics clashes with yours and who also loves to instigate arguments.

You dread the confrontation that is likely to arise because, like most Americans, you’re not sure how to navigate those differences without the conversation spiraling into an ugly place.

As a leader in the bridge-building movement in America for over a decade, I have seen this challenge hit home for every community I engage with. According to More in Common, 9 out of every 10 Americans believe our country is more divided than ever. Yet, more than 75% still think that we can come together and overcome those divides. 

For the past eight years, thousands of Americans have joined the bridge-building movement through the annual National Week of Conversation, happening this year from April 21 through April 27. The Week of Conversation is an invitation to every American to find a way to come together in real conversation − not to win arguments, but to listen more generously, to disagree more constructively and to cocreate new ideas that strengthen our country.

Now, you may wonder how even to start such conversations. You’re not alone. The More in Common study found that........

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