Generous Outreach
Engage in diplomatic outreach as a world citizen, across all the differences that divide us.
according to Big Loves, people’s passions come from what they love, but most often their actions come from fear of losing what they love. The only way to get past the fear and get to the heart of the matter is to talk.
In a world where violence might lead to our destruction, diplomacy at the national level needs to be the last resort. We need outreach and conflict resolution at every level of community, practiced by every citizen of the world.
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In many cases, this is seen as “being the bigger person” because you have to set aside your pride a bit and reach out. So often we feel like we didn’t do anything wrong and therefore the other side should reach out to us. But reaching out is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it’s a sign of the strength you have in your own convictions that you can risk reaching out to someone who might disagree with you.
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In news footage of clashing protestors, they will often show two people arguing across a distance. That is a fine example of this desire to reach out, but without the right tools, it often becomes an opportunity for each person to say their piece without really listening to the other. The Aspen Institute has a program called The Better Arguments Project that attempts to provide the tools needed for a true discussion.
Therefore:
Engage in diplomatic outreach at every level of community. Reach out across ideologies, cultures, nationalities… across all the differences that otherwise divide us.
Reaching out to people who disagree with you can be done in Small Steps as you build up your Courage. Find ways to engage others in Dialogue rather than argument