Padnos/Sarosik
Center for Civil Discourse

Better Conversations, Stronger Communities

June Newsletter
2026

Message from the Director

Dear Friends of the Center for Civil Discourse,

I recently had the experience of visiting a few art exhibits. As someone who often looks at art and wonders, “What is the meaning of this piece?”, I approached the art with some hesitation.

Yet, the power of creative expression drew me in, and before I knew it, I was moving from piece to piece, listening to the stories my eyes were seeing in the art. I felt humbled by the stories new to me and reflective of my responsibilities as the listener. My usual question about meaning turned into curiosity about what I was hearing.

Being curious—simply wondering—allows us to consider something from a different, and, perhaps, new perspective. To fully experience the art, I had to shed my worry about having correct interpretations and, instead, be open to ambiguity. While ambiguity can feel unsettling, it can also inspire questions that lead to meaningful insights.

This is true for dialogue as well. Entering a conversation feeling certain about “what is” often dampens the capacity to hear something unexpected which, in turn, limits how much we learn from and about one another. Wondering, by contrast, can inspire connection.

I am grateful to be reminded by art that sometimes, it’s important to let go of what we think we know and step into ambiguity with curiosity. I’m sharing a photograph from the Chihuly exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. I share it as an invitation—to be unsure, to wonder, and to let curiosity guide the way to reaching mutual understanding.

Wishing you peace and wellness,

Lisa

What Students Are Saying

GV Health Professions students in Traverse City

Sam Purifoy, Physician Assistant Student:

It's rare to bring a group of people together and have them genuinely lean into uncomfortable conversations, but Dr. Perhamus and Dr. Cox created such a warm, welcoming atmosphere that engagement felt natural. The conversations they led us through were thoughtful, honest, and helped participants practice engaging with each other instead of simply talking at each other. For anyone who feels exhausted by polarization or wonders if meaningful conversation across differences is possible anymore, this workshop offers the hopeful answer of yes. Highly recommended for community groups, organizations, or anyone who simply wants to be a better listener and a more thoughtful voice in the world.

Katie Perez, Physician Assistant Student:

I appreciated Dr. Perhamus & Dr. Cox taking time to travel up & speak with us at GVSU’s satellite campus in TC. Through interactive activities, the facilitators helped our group to focus on collaboration on tough issues. They brought together a diverse group of staff, students, & future students to teach us to be curious without being judgmental; to be constructive without tearing one another down for our beliefs or opinions. It was enlightening.

Conversation Corner

What questions or reflections do you have about having challenging conversations?

SUBMITTED REFLECTION

At a recent family gathering, two relatives with very different political views ended up sitting together by chance. At first, the conversation was tense—short responses, guarded tones. But instead of debating facts right away, one of them asked the other why they cared so much about their perspective. That shift—from arguing positions to sharing personal experiences—completely changed the tone. They didn’t end up agreeing, but they listened, asked questions, and even found some shared concerns they hadn’t expected.

RESPONSE

Thank you for submitting this reflection. Sharing stories and personal experiences with one another is a powerful way to shift the tone of a conversation. Your story inspires hope.

We look forward to your next reflection, question, or comment.

The Civil Discourse Team

Submit Anonymously Here

Rotary Club of Grand Rapids

Center director, Dr. Lisa M. Perhamus, was honored to speak to the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids about social trust and human connection. Her talk, 'When Fears Rise, Trust Goes Local': Fostering Social Trust in an Age of Insularity invited Rotarians to reflect upon ways that we can resist national discord and strengthen the social fabric of the country.--starting at the local level. Lisa shared actionable steps forward, with one path being civil discourse as a set of commitments and practices that humanize rather than demonize.

[Photo Credit: Tamela Spicer]

Thank you to the Rotarians of Grand Rapids

for their insightful engagement and rich discussion.

Interested in a Speaker?

The Center's team is available for a variety of speaking engagements.

You can expect presentations to be:

~ Personalized and tailored to your group's interests

~ Grounded in current data

~ Scholarly yet pragmatic

~ Non-partisan and ideologically balance

[Photo Credit: M. Henriques, Unsplash].

Need more information? Reach out to us today at civildiscourse@gvsu.edu or (616)331-8044.

Summer Fun With Center Friends

We were excited to hear from Alan Headbloom, longtime friend and supporter of the Center. Thanks for saying hello from Costa Rica, Alan!

What are you appreciating about this summer? Send us your photos and stories. We'd love to hear from you!

Civildiscourse@gvsu.edu

Check out our resources for bridge-building and engaging in conversations across difference. Have a resource to share? Let us know what we could add to the list!

RESOURCES

This Month's Highlight

In a time of immense division, PURPLE tells the story of everyday Americans with opposing viewpoints confronting their disagreements head-on and discovering the humanity and concerns that lie behind each other’s positions.

Filmed in rural Wisconsin and Iowa – in a swing region that spans two bordering swing states – PURPLE captures six people investigating their divergent views on equity, work ethics, and the social safety net. Created by political mediation organization Resetting the Table in partnership with Transient Pictures, PURPLE provides viewers of all stripes – liberal, conservative, and independent; rural and urban; religious and secular – with a vision for what a healthy public debate on fault-line issues might look like. The film presents a rare political conversation that uplifts, provokes, and inspires while going toward the heat of passionate political differences. (21-minutes)