Building Stronger Communities - One Conversation at a Time
The Citizen Project involves a series of events and related offerings designed to reduce political polarization and foster civil dialogue and collaborative problem solving.
Trends in America show that we are growing increasingly divided. SAGE recognizes that if this persists, it will become harder to find solutions to today’s problems and the challenges faced by younger and future generations. We also believe that older adults play a leadership role to build and rebuild trusting relationships between citizens with different views.
Through our Citizen Project, we:
- Bring people together through events.
- Promote volunteer opportunities with nonprofits.
- Convene organizations each year to share ideas.
Click for a summary of our Citizen Project.
Read on to learn about the events and opportunities we offer.
Contact us to learn more about hosting or co-hosting an event.
Get more involved with this important work
Help us reach new audiences by hosting or co-hosting a Citizen Project event. We offer many no-cost events. We can facilitate or co-facilitate with your group, and we can help defray costs for venues or refreshments. Each event has its own energy and pace, and the format can adapt to your needs. Our goal is for guests to feel comfortable sharing their views in a respectful and supportive atmosphere. The event can range from 20 to 60 minutes, and it can be offered online, in-person, and hybrid.
Contact us to learn about hosting an event.
Looking for other ways to get involved? Check out the great work of the organizations listed below!
Featured Citizen Project Event Offering
Bridging Divides is our 20-minute presentation that is often shared with civic minded and involved organizations and groups.
Together, we discuss the cause and degree of the current state of political polarization and how it creates policy gridlock, undermines democratic institutions, and sabotages personal relationships. We then outline the social science research that suggests what individuals and organizations can do to work across differences so communities can move forward in a productive way and solve problems.
This 20-minute presentation can easily be paired with a 30-minute discussion.
This event is facilitated by SAGE. Materials provided.
Opportunities to Engage with Nonprofits
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Oregon Humanities
Oregon Humanities connects people and communities through conversation, storytelling, and participatory programs to inspire understanding and collaborative change. We are aiming for an Oregon that invites diverse perspectives, explores challenging questions,…
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Crossing Party Lines
Crossing Party Lines fosters open conversations between Americans with dissimilar ideologies to increase tolerance, build community, and encourage civic engagement. They teach the underlying skills required to sustain civil, respectful dialogue…
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Braver Angels
Braver Angels is working to depolarize America by bringing liberals and conservatives together to better understand each other. They do that by teaching communication skills, hosting workshops, book and movie discussions,…
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Citizens4Community
Citizens4Community is a non-partisan organization in Sisters, Oregon that works with community members to promote healthy civic discourse and to help build collaborative skills and local networks. We host and support programs…
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Civics Learning Project
Civics Learning Project brings vital and engaging civics and law-related education programs into Oregon schools, teaching students at all grade levels the values and skills essential to participating in and…
Join the Work
There are many ways to be part of SAGE–whether you want to explore, learn or take action.