Giving Compass' Take:

• The author discusses programs that you can use in order to engage meaningfully with those that you don't necessarily agree with.

• Why is it important to have these tools in place for the future of our democracy? How can critical but thoughtful dialogue move us in the right direction?

• Read about the importance of creating an ongoing dialogue to increase civic engagement.

After speaking at TEDWomen in December, we heard from people who had not felt comfortable sharing their views publicly or speaking with people they knew disagreed with them ideologically.

So instead of focusing on what divides us, why not focus on our shared values and discover where we have common ground? We call it a domestic peace initiative.

At the heart of it, we want to inspire people to connect across differences so that we can understand each other, care about each other, and work together where we actually agree. We believe the health and maybe even survival of our democracy requires this.

Many folks that are highly engaged on the right and left have come to a point where they have decided that people on the other side are ignorant, bigoted, evil, or stupid. Another large number of citizens have decided that they do not want to engage in politics altogether. We are looking for means to shift these dynamics back toward healthy engagement.

One of the key ways we hope to achieve this is through conversation, deep listening, and using both AllSides and Living Room Conversations as vehicles for change. Take AllSides for Schools, an initiative that endeavors to teach respectful engagement,  increase media literacy, and pop filter bubbles in schools across the country.  Living Room Conversations are a first step to increase understanding of issues, build relationships, and pave the way for collaborative and inclusive problem-solving.

Read the full article about advancing critical dialogue at The Aspen Institute