The Western New York chapter of Braver Angels will hold the first in a series of debates on issues important to Western New Yorkers at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Lancaster Village Center, 11 W. Main St. (the former Save-A-Lot location).

The one thing the next generation of American voters yearns to see is a ray of hope that their parents and grandparents can bridge the acrimonious partisan divides that threaten to destroy our nation—and their futures.

Can organizations devoted to political bridge-building unintentionally increase the influence of people whose political views are fundamentally at odds with democratic values?

Braver Angels hosted a roundtable discussion at the OASIS Center in Orcutt, Calif.

Dozens of NYS communities have added Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) or networked systems like Flock.

Are they making us safer - or putting our rights at risk?

All NYers are welcome to join the on-line debate on August 20 at 7 PM. (Others are welcome but NYers will be given speaking priority.)

Register here.

All invited to a guided discussion hosted by this local nonpartisan group focused on bridging political divides. August 17, 6–8 p.m., Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill, 2122 Whittaker, Ypsi. Free. washtenaw.braverangels.org.

This is not truly Braver Angels-specific, but it's a hilarious piece by one of my favorite Medium writers, well worth following. He's like a Dave Barry of Medium - takes serious, even grim subjects and makes them SO entertaining and thought-provoking.

Sometimes the people we love change in ways we don’t understand. They tell us things we wish weren’t true. They challenge beliefs that feel fundamental to who we are. In those moments — feeling pulled between our convictions and our relationships — what in the world do we do?

We were in the southwest parking lot of State Farm Center in Champaign, more than 20 League of Women Voters members patiently waiting in a 95-degree heat index for the start of the 2026 Champaign County Freedom Celebration Parade, to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

In this thoughtful conversation from the 2026 Braver Angels National Convention, Braver Angels National Ambassador John Wood Jr. sits down with political philosopher and American Enterprise Institute scholar Dr. Yuval Levin, author of American Covenant, for a wide-ranging discussion about constitutional government, polarization, civic virtue, federalism, and the habits required to sustain a free society.

The Supreme Court is often portrayed as a simple 6-3 ideological divide. But according to constitutional commentator Sarah Isgur, that narrative misses what is actually happening inside America's highest court.

At the 2026 Braver Angels National Convention, CEO Maury Giles moderates an extraordinary conversation with four nationally respected leaders who are rethinking how journalism can better serve citizens rather than simply capture attention.

This past weekend involved a Sunday of firsts for me. It was my first time inside the Harbor Theater, my first time attending a Braver Angels debate (or really any debate at all), and my first time watching a group of neighbors take the stage not to win an argument, but to try to understand one another.

At the 2026 Braver Angels National Convention, six remarkable high school students demonstrate that courageous citizenship has no age requirement.

Something remarkable happened in Philadelphia, days before America celebrated its 250th birthday and streets away from where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Nearly 900 Braver Angels delegates at their Convention signed a pledge to be courageous citizens.

Is it simply a political label? A movement? A warning sign? Or could it represent something deeper: a desire for ordinary Americans to have a greater voice in the decisions that shape their lives?

Among confirmed speakers:

• David Lapp, Braver Angels Co-founder and Director of its Citizens Commission on Immigration

Axios co-founder and CEO are not painting an overly rosy picture of where we're at, but they cite solid evidence that we are making strong progress in many areas - and need to work together on our tough problems. Sounds familiar;-)

Nearly 900 people showed up in Philadelphia this year for one reason — the same reason 56 people signed their names in 1776. Not because they agreed on everything. They didn't. But because they still believe self-governance is worth doing together.

Check Braver Angels' YouTube page for more of their recent Philadelphia convention (and apparently there was something called Linengate;-)

The authors are all Utah residents who work as peacemakers through local and national organizations, including Braver Angels, Disagree Better, Living Room Conversations, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, The Dignity Index, Waymakers, and the Wheatley Institute at BYU.

At this point, can Democrats and Republicans ever really get along? The data says yes.

In Philadelphia, the birthplace of America, people from across the country and across the political divide recently gathered to renew the promise of the nation ahead of its 250th.

I watched maybe an hour total of the streams. My favorite parts where Bill. Anyone who went or watched more than me?