Convergence is hosting an event for influential women in the Bay Area to align around a common vision for bridging difference and refocusing the country on how to solve the critical challenges they face.

Through case studies, small group activities, role-playing, large group discussion, and individual study, participants learn how to frame a social or economic problem in a non-partisan manner that enables collaboration; build trust and relationships among individuals with divergent or conflicting views; and facilitate them to create and implement shared solutions through multiple pathways.

Convergence’s Sharona Shuster and Morgan Franklin is offering a half day training session for the Better Business Bureau’s international convening, entitled Phoe-Mix, of local BBB CEOs from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The focus will be on helping participants learn tools and approaches to strengthen collaboration with one another and to share real world examples of Convergence’s complex and unlikely collaborations among diverse national stakeholders on issues of critical public concern.

Invitation only.

Convergence’s Leadership Council is an advisory body consisting of a diverse group of professionals from the fields of policy, business, mediation, non-profits, and more. The group meets three times a year to learn the latest news from Convergence’s projects, inform organizational strategy, and engage with one another. Guests and new friends are invited to participate in the conversations and add to our brain trust.

Invitation only.

Learn more.

Convergence is hosting a salon.

Work done by Convergence, Brookings, American Enterprise Institute, Convergence, and Bread for the World has cut through the partisan and ideological stalemates and proposed policies and private sector actions to address the needs of employers and workers. This Public Dialogue brings together key participants in these cross-sector efforts and other respected leaders to explore how we can promote the dignity of work and workers in American life.

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Convergence receives the JAMS Foundation’s 11th Annual Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award at the American Bar Association’s 2019 Annual Spring Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The award recognizes the work that Convergence has done utilizing collaborative problem-solving to find solutions to the nation’s toughest problems.

The Reentry Ready Project team shared their recommendations for supporting successful return from prison and reintegration back into society. Reentry Ready stakeholders and three formerly incarcerated individuals from the Community Family Life Services Speakers Bureau described breakthrough strategies designed to transform the current system to improve reentry success. Senator Tim Kaine opened the event with remarks about the importance of reforming the current system.

Rob Fersh moderated a panel called, “Combating Polarization and Enhancing Cross-Party Communications” at the House Democracy Partnership Forum. Party leaders discussed opportunities for cross-party collaboration, in addition to techniques for working across the aisle that encourage unity on matters of national interest.

Convergence has hosted a salon in Baltimore.

Invitation only.

Our President and Founder talked with Better Angels members about Convergence’s work, sharing techniques for building trust and making progress on difficult issues.

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Join #ReentryReady stakeholders as they discussed how we can improve what happens during incarceration to achieve better reentry outcomes.

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Rob Fersh presented at The Mediation Society’s Annual Members Dinner & Installation of Officers to discuss ways to find common ground.

Invitation only.

Matt Owens, Executive Vice President of the Association of American Universities, and a stakeholder in the Building a Better Budget Process Project, shared the group’s proposals for budget process reform.

Watch Video.

Convergence friends and supporters celebrated this important milestone and launched our second decade.

We are seeking sponsors at all levels to support Convergence’s 10th Anniversary and to help us into the future!

More information on Sponsorship Here.

Stephanie McGencey, Senior Director of Reentry Ready, and Professor Marc Morjé Howard of Georgetown University, a stakeholder in the Reentry Ready Project, shared recommendations for improving reentry outcomes at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on December 12th.

Listen to Podcast.

Rob Fersh, President and Founder of Convergence, spoke at a luncheon as part of The John and Margaret Dalton PathNorth Series on Civility in Washington, DC.

Invitation only. Learn more on the Civility Series here.

Rob Fersh, President and Founder of Convergence, moderated a panel discussion hosted by the Stubblefield Institute at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV on February 3rd. The purpose of the forum was to discuss how to hold productive conversations across political divides.

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Rob Fersh, President and Founder of Convergence, served as a panelist at The Philanthropy Workshop’s 2020 Global Summit for a discussion entitled “A Democracy for the Future.” The panel discussed questions such as “Will democracy continue to be a viable socio-political structure?” and “For those not yet ready to give up on the ideals of just and representative democracies, how will our systems, structures, movements, and citizens adapt?” The goal was to bring the “big questions” down to an actionable level and discuss meaningful ways to promote and support a healthy democracy.

Program Highlights:

President and Founder Rob Fersh offered updates on how Convergence is making a difference in a time of intense polarization;
California Project Director Vicki Veenker moderated a panel of stakeholders who participated in our California Health Reform Initiative in a discussion of bridging divides in the Golden State;
Former Assemblywoman Catharine Baker shared comments about critical issues in California where division stands in the way of progress; and
All guests had the opportunity to help Convergence think about where to apply our unique process next!.

Watch the Zoom recording of the event below.

Convergence along with our partners at the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) have been researching a potential project using our unique dialogue-to-action methodology that might bring diverse stakeholders together to improve elections. As we continue investigating a longer-term project on reforms that can put voters at the center of elections, we recognize there is an urgent debate happening now on how best to conduct elections during the current pandemic.

Convergence held a webinar where we discussed potential solutions to ensure this November’s election can be conducted safely and learn from two county election officials who recently held primaries for their insights.

Speakers:
Brian Corley, Supervisor of Elections, Pasco County, Florida
Barb Byrum, Ingham County Clerk, Michigan

Watch the Zoom recording of the event below.

Convergence Founder, Rob Fersh, was interviewed by Philip Hellmich (Director of Peace at The Shift Network) at the Rotary E-Club of World Peace weekly meeting on 5-26-2020 where he answered multiple questions, including:

1) What are the fundamental processes deployed at Convergence and what makes this process distinctive?
2) What is the range of successful works at Convergence and are there situations where the approach may not be as successful?
3) How might the Convergence principles and approaches apply elsewhere even in people’s everyday lives?

Watch Video

Convergence’s Leadership Council is an advisory body consisting of a diverse group of professionals from the fields of policy, business, mediation, non-profits, and more. The group meets three times a year to learn the latest news from Convergence’s projects, inform organizational strategy, and engage with one another. Guests and new friends are invited to participate in the conversations and add to our brain trust.

Watch the Zoom recording of the virtual meeting. Meeting highlights are provided on our June 2020 LC Meeting Recap page.

Learn more.

Convergence CEO David Eisner was featured on the Our Voices Matter Podcast. Convergence Board Member and Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist Linda Lorelle interviewed David and discussed how Convergence is helping to find solutions for America’s recovery.

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On Thursday, October 1, 2020, Convergence held a special virtual event to celebrate the pioneering vision and leadership of Convergence Founder, Rob Fersh. At “A Toast to Rob Fersh,” we celebrated Rob’s lifetime of work dedicated to bridging divides, building lasting relationships of trust, and finding solutions to our country’s most intractable issues. We also celebrated his transition into his new Senior Advisor role at Convergence!

Special guests – close to Rob and Convergence – shared reflections about Rob’s impact on Convergence and the field. Participants engaged with the Community about the ways in which Rob has brought us together with his unifying vision of collaborative problem-solving and helped us thank Rob for his leadership.

Watch Video Recording of the Virtual Celebration.

Even if you were not able to join us for this event, we ask that you please consider making a special gift to Convergence in Rob’s honor. There is no better way to pay tribute to his inspiring vision than to ensure it continues for many years to come! Your gift in Rob’s honor will help us launch new projects dedicated to America’s recovery, help us drive awareness about the power of bridging divides, and help us secure Convergence’s future.

For the first time, a panel of dialogue participants from Convergence’s California Health Reform Initiative presented their innovative health care cost containment recommendation.

The event on Monday, November 9, 2020 was hosted by California Assemblymember Marc Berman (AD-24). Convergence’s Vicki Veenker (Managing Director, West Coast) moderated the discussion on “A New Solution to Rising Health Costs,” addressing future health care affordability in California in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch Video!

Convergence’s Leadership Council is an advisory body consisting of a diverse group of professionals from the fields of policy, business, mediation, non-profits, and more. The group meets three times a year to learn the latest news from Convergence’s projects, inform organizational strategy, and engage with one another. Guests and new friends are invited to participate in the conversations and add to our brain trust.

Watch the Zoom recording of the virtual meeting. Meeting highlights are provided on our November 2020 LC Meeting Highlights page.

6:10 – Implications of Election/Connecting Question
9:25 – What the Election Means for Convergence’s Work
37:34 – Program Report
50:50 – Convergence Award to Representative Kilmer
1:17:02 – Breathing and Stretching with LC Member Jessica Dibb
1:30:18 – Leadership Discussion on Bridge-Building Field
2:10:45 – The Leadership Council Advances

Learn more.

Convergence’s Leadership Council is an advisory body consisting of a diverse group of professionals from the fields of policy, business, mediation, non-profits, and more. The group meets three times a year to learn the latest news from Convergence’s projects, inform organizational strategy, and engage with one another. Guests and new friends are invited to participate in the conversations and add to our brain trust.

Watch the Zoom recording of the virtual meeting. Meeting highlights are provided on our February 2021 LC Meeting Highlights page.

Learn more.

“I have been involved with Convergence for a decade, and the last two hours are among my favorites ever.”

That’s how one long-term Leadership Council member described the exceptional two panels that opened Convergence’s Fall Leadership Council Meeting on Oct. 7. Read on to learn more about these provocative conversations.

Amanda Ripley

CEO David Eisner interviewed New York Times best-selling author Amanda Ripley about her new book, “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out.” To purchase her book, click here. If you purchase through Amazon, consider using AmazonSmile and making Convergence your charity of choice for this and all of your Amazon purchases. Ripley explained the difference between “high conflict” and “good conflict” and how sometimes doing what is counter-intuitive is the best approach to produce constructive dialogue and bridge divides. She also provided tips to break free from the trap of “us versus them” to embrace the healthy conflict that is essential for our growth as individuals and as a society.

Watch Video.

Guns & Suicide Prevention

Russell Krumnow, Director of the Convergence Dialogue on Guns and Suicide Prevention, led an in-depth discussion with Dialogue participants about the impact of bringing diverse voices together to prevent firearm suicides. Participant Sherry Molock, a pastor and researcher at George Washington University, specializes in suicide risk and prevention in African American adolescents and young adults. Dr. Molock also works to advance suicide prevention programs in African American faith-based communities and shared how the first-time experience impacted her:

“I’ve been doing research on suicide prevention for 25 years, but I’ve never sat down with gun advocates ever. I thought we lived on different planets…

It was very eye-opening for me to talk with people who are either gun advocates, gun owners, or people who are even involved in policy work because they had a different perspective and are crucial to crafting research efforts and solutions that can really work to save lives.”

The Dialogue recommendations are scheduled to be released next month.

On December 7th, the leaders and practitioners in the Convergence Dialogue on Guns and Suicide Prevention marked the conclusion of their yearlong engagement by releasing their final report and convening a virtual public event to highlight its conclusions and strategies to save lives. Dialogue participants span diverse perspectives across America‘s deep guns divide. At the event, participants discussed the report findings and described their collaborative experience as successful, productive and eye-opening – not only the substantive work advising on pathways to prevent gun suicides, but also the collaborative dialogue approach that generated trust and the ability to reach common ground across the group’s differences. Dialogue participants included:

• Chris Cheng: The History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion
• Emmy Betz MD, MPH: Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Doreen Marshall: Vice President of Mission Engagement, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Russell Krumnow: Senior Director of Projects, Convergence

In addition, two Dialogue participants discussed the suicide prevention work of their organizations that the report spotlighted: Casey Pick, Senior Fellow for Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, the nation’s largest suicide prevention organization for LGTBQ+ youth; and Mike Sodini, Founder and President of Walk the Talk America, which works directly with firearm manufacturers and retailers to promote mental health, suicide awareness and critical gun-safety practices.

Watch Video.

On March 2nd, Civic Genius, Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, More in Common, and Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) — four nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations who recently partnered to engage local, grassroots, and faith-based audiences in national and local dialogues around digital disinformation — hosted a partnership launch event with a group of diverse leaders:

• Dr. Krishnan Narasimhan: Chair of Doctors for America
• Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III: Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago IL
• Hillari Lombard: Host of Moderate Party Podcast

The event examined digital disinformation, its causes, and the reasons why it is hard to agree on what is true and build consensus on collective solutions.The speakers discussed the impact of digital disinformation has on various communities, including BIPOC, historically marginalized, and faith-based communities. They also explored how disinformation intersects with public health, religion and our daily lives and address how we can reduce its harms without infringing upon free speech and civil and human rights. The engaging conversation concluded with a Q&A session from attendees and civic stakeholders.

Watch the event recording.

Read on to learn more about the March 16, 2022 Leadership Council meeting speakers and watch the meeting recordings.

Eboo Patel

“For centuries people thought that the identity that would most rip a nation apart was religious identity… Again, the United State of America is the first nation to proves that you can actually have a religiously diverse democracy.” – Eboo Patel at the March 16, 2022 Leadership Council Meeting

Convergence CEO David Eisner interviewed Eboo Patel, author, speaker, educator, and interfaith leader founded Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC).

Eboo Patel spoke about the idea that religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He is inspired to build this bridge by his identity as an American Muslim navigating a religiously diverse social landscape. For over 15 years, he has worked with governments, social sector organizations, and college and university campuses to help make interfaith cooperation a social norm. Learn about IFYC’s inspiring work and perspective and the multiple ways that IFYC and Convergence are now partnering with a special preview of Eboo Patel’s upcoming book,“We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy.”

Watch Video.

Convergence Dialogue on Reimagining Care for Older Adults Participants

“Convergence [is a] sort of a catalyst for supercharging expertise in a way that’s collaborative.” – Dr. Marc Cohen at the March 16, 2022 Leadership Council meeting

Convergence Dialogue on Reimagining Care for Older Adults Manager Isabel Hinestrosa interviewed 3 Dialogue participants: Naomi Lopez, Director of Healthcare Policy, Goldwater Institute, Marc Cohen PhD, UMASS Boston Gerontology Professor of Gerontology; Co-Director LeadingAge LTSS Center, and Donna Benton PhD, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Research Associate Professor of Gerontology; Director of the USC Family Caregiver Support Center (FCSC).

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“If you look at any massive social or political movement in U.S. history it has been because of transformations along generational lines.” – Layla Zaidane

During the fifth annual National Week of Conversation, Convergence co-hosted an event on ‘Bridging Across Generations’ with Convergence CEO David Eisner; Layla Zaidane of Millennial Action Project (MAP); Manu Meel of BridgeUSA; and Marc Freedman of Encore.org facilitating the discussion. The event drew a terrific turnout, and participants discussed the topic with wonderfully thought-provoking comments and questions throughout the conversation.

More notable quotes from the event:

David Eisner: “We distort the amount to which our views are opposed to those of other people.”

Marc Freedman: “Right now, we have a largely white older population and a much more diverse younger generation. If we can solve the generational divide, we have a better chance at success across the political divide..”

Manu Meel: “We want people who WANT to have discussions about generational divide to have louder voices..”

Watch Video.

“At the end of the day, what each American wants is to put food on their table, take care of the children, and have a chance at the American dream.” – Dr. Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua

On May 24, 2022 Convergence hosted a virtual discussion featuring cross-sector experts on economic mobility and job training to launch of the Convergence Dialogue on Pathways to Better Jobs. The conversation was moderated by Anita Chandramohan, Director of the Dialogue.

We were joined by Dr. Stephen Goldsmith, Derek Bok Professor of the Practice of Urban Policy and the Director of the Data-Smart Cities Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; Dr. Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua, Professor of Engineering, Program Director, Smart Manufacturing Technology Program, Ohlone College, Fremont, California; and Della Adams, Upward Academy Program Manager at Tyson Foods.

The Convergence Dialogue on Pathways to Better Jobs seeks to address why millions of job seekers – low- to moderate-income earners who are currently employed, under-employed, or long-term unemployed – are unable to access and navigate resources, tools, and opportunities to move into new, improved, and stable avenues of employment.

Watch the event recording.

Read on to learn more about the June 22, 2022 Leadership Council meeting and watch the event recordings.

A Conversation with john powell: 2022 Recipient of the Convergence Bridge-Building Leadership Award

“Bridge-building is saying ‘I respect you. I want to hear you. I’m not questioning you humanity. I’m curious about you. We won’t agree but I will listen to you.’”

Tune in to hear more from the inspiring conversation with 2022 recipient of the Convergence Bridge-Building Leadership Award, John Powell.

Watch the segment recording.

Economic Opportunity Discussion June 2022 Leadership Council

“Access to economic opportunity for everyone and a multiple pathways approach to opportunity where there’s lots of ways to get on track that really fit with your own life and life experience… We believe that that’s actually connected to our health as a society and our democracy overall.” – Russell Krumnow, Vice President, Programs

Watch for an immersive look into Convergence’s Economic Opportunity Portfolio, and hear from several staff members actively involved with the work, including:

• Mariah Levison: Convergence’s new Chief Program Officer (who many of you may know from her service on the Leadership Council!)
• Russell Krumnow: Vice President, Programs
• Anita Chandramohan: Director, Convergence Dialogue on Pathways to Better Jobs
• Abby McCloskey: Director, Convergence Dialogue on Supports for Working Families

Watch the segment recording.