Getting Outside our Bubbles: Understanding Different Perspectives
By Contributor
How do we have conversations with people who seem to have such perplexingly different assumptions and priorities?
It can often feel like you are living in completely different worlds, and questioning if there is hope of working together to resolve critical issues.
Community members have an excellent opportunity to explore such concerns at a timely workshop called “Getting Outside our Bubbles: Understanding Different Perspectives.”
The workshop will be held on Tuesday June 20 at the Nelson United Church hall (602 Silica St.) between 6:30 – 9 pm. Admission is by donation.
The workshop will look at how different perspectives and world views arise. Participants will get a chance to practice ways of applying this awareness to engage across differences and not perpetuate ‘us and them’ divisions.
“Understanding how people arrive at different beliefs and actions is becoming an essential skill in navigating our personal and organizational work in the world, especially in climate advocacy and social justice work,” explains Jan Inglis, who is leading the workshop.
“In the face of growing social, ecological, and political challenges there is an urgency to work together to create solutions,” continues Inglis. “But at the same time, there can be a disheartening realization that often we seem miles apart in our assumptions and priorities about what is important to do and how to go about it.”
Inglis has been working on public engagement, perception, and motivation in relation to addressing climate change for many years. She was one of the key drivers behind last year’s highly successful conference “Hot and Bothered in the Kootenays: Water, drought and climate change.” She has taught university courses regarding the intersection of culture, conflict, and the environment.
“Members of our local Citizens’ Climate Lobby chapter have been asking Jan to present such a workshop for a while now,” says Laura Sacks who heads up the chapter. “We’re excited to invite the community to this event to help us understand how to better engage and unite on critical issues that have become polarized, like climate change,.”
The workshop is being hosted by the Nelson – West Kootenay Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and is co-sponsored by the Nelson United Church, Nelson Interfaith Climate Action Collaborative, and West Kootenay EcoSociety.
