October Newsletter
2026

Dear Friends of the Center for Civil Discourse,

I have been thinking about the morning after next week’s election.

Will I be among those celebrating or feeling disappointed? How will my neighbors feel? When I go to work that morning, how will my co-workers feel?

In the months and weeks leading up to Election Day, there has been significant media attention on the implications of various campaign promises. I have found less information on how to live with election results—or, more specifically, how to live and work with people who voted for different priorities.

If you are feeling unprepared for that first post-election encounter with someone who thinks, believes, and voted differently, consider how you can:

1.     Celebrate happiness or share sadness with close friends; show up in public spaces (digital and in-person) with humility.

2.     Step away from political commentary during the first part of the day when the news is fresh and your feelings might be intense.

3.     Have non-political conversations with neighbors and co-workers to remember points of connection.

4.     Channel your emotional energy into a tangible, community activity or shared effort.

5.     Create election-free/politics-free zones in work and living spaces to give everyone a place for a break.

The neighbor who may vote for the candidate you don’t support will still be your neighbor after the vote, and the family member whose political ideas you oppose will still be your family.  Being mindful of how we handle interactions the morning after we each cast our vote is an investment in the longevity of the relationships we care about.

Wishing you peace and wellness,

Lisa

YOU ARE INVITED!

12th Annual

Civil Discourse Symposium

At a time when digital platforms increasingly shape public discourse, the need to reflect on how to foster healthy dialogue has never been more urgent.
Please join us for a community conversation about the civic role of digital literacy skills as an ethical practice and responsibility to foster constructive discourse.

We were excited to hit the road and travel to Muskegon where director, Lisa Perhamus, presented to Muskegon Rotarians. In her talk, 'As Fears Rise, Trust Goes Local": Building Peace Through Social Trust Lisa discussed key impacts of polarization and insularity in the U.S. and explored tangible paths forward for increasing social trust.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Muskegon and the Peacebuilding Committee for this speaking invitation. It was an honor to spend time collectively considering the value of civil discourse for strengthening levels of trust in our communities--at home and across the country.

Contact us civildiscourse@gvsu.edu (616) 331-8044

Our presentations are:

~ Personalized & tailored to your group's interests

~ Grounded in current data

~ Pragmatic & relateable

~ Non-partisan & ideologically balanced

We hit the road again, this time going to Traverse City for a workshop with The Purple Assembly, a non-partisan grassroots and community-based organization that seeks to bridge political divides and bring people together over shared interests.

Worskhop participants learned foundational civil discourse principles and practiced skills and strategies through small group activities. The group was dynamic, engaged, and filled with hope for a less ideologically divided future.

The Center offers one-time workshops, extended trainings, and group facilitations for the GVSU community and surrounding area.

What you can expect:

~ Personalized experience

~ Tailored session for your distinct goals

~ Information anchored in research

~ Interactive session for optimal learning

Need more information? Contact us:

civildiscourse@gvsu.edu / (616) 331-8044

QUESTION

This month, we are pausing to ask YOU a question!

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

We will share anonymous responses in our next newsletter. Sharing visions for the world can increase feelings of connection, foster a sense of belonging, and inspire hope.

Until the next question,

The Civil Discourse Team

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!

"As David Brooks observes, 'There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.'

And yet all around are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing essential questions: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to?

The act of seeing another person, Brooks argues, is profoundly creative: How can we look somebody in the eye and see something large in them and, in turn, see something larger in ourselves? How to Know a Person is for anyone searching for connection, and yearning to be understood."

 

Ex Officio
Shelley Padnos: Center Founder
Carol Sarosik: Center Founder

Advisory Council

Jessica Collette: Founder & CEO of Float Above Ventures

Dan Cope: Padnos/Sarosik Civil Discourse Faculty Fellow

Annette Gonzalez-Vazquez: Communications & Outreach Specialist, PSCCD

Ed Karls: Community Member; Co-chair, Braver Angels Alliance of Washtenaw County, MI

Alex Priebe: Assistant Director Digital Engagement & Communications , GVSU                        

James Rademaker: General Manager, WGVU Public Media

Faye Richardson-Green: Committed Community Steward

Milt Rowher: Community Member (retired business leader)

Tamela Spicer: Founder & Principal at The Intentional Catalyst

Rick Treur: Director of Talent & Leadership, Grand Rapids Chamber

Aaron Turner: Vice President of Philanthropy, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Greg Warsen: Graduate Program Director & Faculty, Educational Leadership , GVSU

Susie Ziegler: Director of Philanthropy, GVSU

Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse
LMH Suite 167
Office: (616) 331-8044
Email: civildiscourse@gvsu.edu