A Nonpartisan Talk Dedicated To Reducing Polarization With Donna Brazile And Michael Steele At 92NY Virtual

Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led nonprofit dedicated to reducing polarization, and 92NY’s Newmark Civic Life Series.

92NY’s Newmark Civic Life Series an initiative to educate and galvanize audiences around pro-democracy efforts, announced their upcoming, free virtual event on election reform, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 7:30 pm ET.

Register here, free.

Former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele will come together for this free online talk exploring ways to find common ground on elections.

This special conversation will be guided by former CBS News Correspondent and author, Jacqueline Adams.

This is Donna Brazile and Michael Steele’s second event for Common Ground Committee.

They last had a Common Ground conversation in 2018, finding consensus about the government’s role in bridging racial divides.

“At a time when division is at an all-time high and with the midterm elections approaching, we desperately need to find common ground on elections and rebuild Americans’ faith in our democratic systems,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of CGC. “We are grateful that Michael and Donna are taking the time to share their expertise with us all. By the end of the evening, we hope attendees will see where there is agreement from the left and right on election reform, and that we will all be able to advocate for a less polarized approach, where we are united—not divided—as Americans.”

The virtual event is co-presented by the Newmark Civic Life Series, which is a part of 92NY’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact, and the Common Ground Committee, whose mission it is to bring healing to the challenges of incivility and polarization in American politics. It is hosted by 92nd Street Y, New York.

“We could not be more excited to host this vital conversation with Common Ground Committee,” said Rebekah Shrestha, SVP, 92NY’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact. “Free and fair elections are at the cornerstone of our democracy, yet many Americans feel disenfranchised about their ability to cast a ballot. We look forward to hearing Michael’s and Donna’s insights on how we can address these issues and find a path forward.” The Belfer Center is devoted to working that bridges divide and increases civic engagement. Through grassroots, global initiatives, leadership programs, and civic movements, the Belfer Center has created a vibrant worldwide community built around big ideas and doing good with the Newmark Civic Life Series, Ben Franklin Circles, and the newly-launched Share Our America program.

Details can be found here.

Following the event, participants will be invited to join the effort to combat polarization by signing up for the Unify Challenge, a guided video conversation with another American who may vote differently, encouraging all of us to help close our national divide.

This will occur on June 15, 2022, at 7 PM ET and is a part of the nonprofit grassroots organization, Unify America. Register here.

Common Ground Committee

Common Ground Committee (CGC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 citizen-led organization dedicated to fostering more progress and less division in politics.

Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 15 public forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus.

Panelists have included such notable pairings as John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice, David Petraeus and Susan Rice, Michael Steele and Donna Brazile, and Larry Kudlow and Barney Frank, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy.

CGC produces the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series, which has had over 100 thousand downloads.

CGC also created the Common Ground Scorecard, a voting tool that scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party.

Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

The 92nd Street Y, New York

The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a world-class center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity.

92NY offers extensive classes, courses and events online including live concerts, talks and master classes; fitness classes for all ages; 250+ art classes, and parenting workshops for new moms and dads.

The 92nd Street Y, New York is transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world.

All of 92NY’s programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions, and ethnicities.

For more information, visit www.92NY.org.