October 2024
Introduction
Mindbridge Insights: Building Resiliency Within A Polarized Landscape
Dear Mindbridge Community,
As the upcoming American election draws near, the urgency to take part in the democratic process has never been greater. It is easy to feel divided in this time of intense polarization because we are, in fact, living through profound societal dissonance. Yet, it is precisely in moments of difficulty and uncertainty that hope emerges as a force for change. As psychologist, Dan J. Tomasulo reminds us, "Unique among all the positive emotions, hope requires some degree of dissonance, difficulty, negativity, or uncertainty to be ignited." At Mindbridge, we believe that by harnessing hope, alongside the insights of science, we can bridge divides and create a future rooted in justice and human rights.
This Fall, we are proud to offer a series of live, interactive courses designed to help you navigate difficult conversations and build resilience in an increasingly polarized landscape. Whether you’re learning de-escalation techniques, protecting the well-being of human rights defenders, or supporting loved ones against extremist ideologies, these courses bring the best of neuroscience and psychology to the forefront, turning hope into action.
In fact, our "Did You Know" section this month explores a fascinating new study about why so many people today find it difficult to discuss politics across party lines. The research shows how viewing politics as a zero-sum game deepens divides and limits meaningful conversation—something we aim to address through our courses. This study highlights how we can begin to break through polarization by recognizing that not all political issues are zero-sum, leaving room for compromise and common values.
As we approach the election, we encourage you to embrace the power of hope and possibility. By voting, engaging in the democratic process, and standing up for human rights, we can create a future where everyone belongs. Together, through science and hope, we can unlock the potential for transformation.
Onward.
- Laura Ligouri
Mindbridge Executive Director
Program Spotlight: The Mindbridge Institute
In the world of the Institute, we have been enjoying the balance of working with our amazing clients and developing a series of live, interactive courses for this Fall 2024. These courses are designed to help you navigate difficult conversations, build resilience, and foster understanding in an increasingly polarized world.
In Virtual Peacekeeping: De-Escalation Techniques for Digital Discussions, you’ll learn practical de-escalation techniques and methods to navigate heated discussions grounded in psychology. This course is designed to equip community leaders, social justice advocates, and civil society members with essential de-escalation skills for digital spaces to create calm and productive dialogue. We’ll be offering this as a free, 50 minute course with sessions in October, November, and December.
In the high-stakes world of human rights advocacy, the well-being of defenders is often overlooked—yet it plays a crucial role in the success of campaigns. In our course, Healing the Frontline: Mental Health Tools for Human Rights Advocates, we examine how unchecked stress, trauma, and burnout can undermine your team’s well-being, while also jeopardizing your organization’s mission and success. We’ll also provide practical self-care strategies grounded in the latest neuropsychology and examine organizational approaches to fostering a supportive, resilient work environment.
Lastly, we’re excited to share our course, Bridging Divides: Supporting Loved Ones Against Extremist Ideologies. In our increasingly polarized world, it can be both confusing and distressing when someone close to you begins to adopt extreme beliefs. This live, online course, is designed to help community members understand the dangers of extremist thinking, and offer strategies for engaging in respectful, constructive conversation. We’ll examine how extremist beliefs spread, how to identify early warning signs, and how to offer support to loved ones while also challenging harmful ideas.
To learn more or sign up for our Fall 2024 offerings, please see our website’s courses page.
I am a Human Rights Defender
Professor Krysten T. Gorrivan (M.S. Ed.)
Krysten Gorrivan is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Education within the University of New England’s College of Arts & Sciences (CAS).
A former elementary educator, Gorrivan teaches multiple undergraduate courses to aspiring Maine K-12 educators, including Trauma Responsive Education. Gorrivan strongly believes in the importance of focusing on the socioemotional needs of schoolchildren to create safe and inclusive learning environments.
At the forefront of this work is how to educate the whole child, and recognize signs of trauma.
Gorrivan teaches that when young students are in active trauma (stemming from a variety of sources, such as a difficult home environment), their amygdala produces a state of “fight, flight, or freeze”. While this part of the brain is responsible for a variety of attributes, Gorrivan highlights the amygdala’s relevance in emotional processing and memory - if children are in this heightened state, learning and comprehension within the classroom become extremely difficult.
Her Trauma Responsive Education course not only prepares future educators to note the signs of trauma in their classroom, but how to respond to the “whole child” and foster an educational environment that is inclusive, supportive, and makes students feel safe.
“I feel like I am on a mission to share the message that we all have an innate need to belong. As the adults in the room, it is our responsibility to create an environment where every child is supported, valued, and celebrated for who they are. This is what I try to model for my students and the message I instill in them; they are enough just as they are”
Research Roundup
Welcoming Our New Interns!
With the coming of fall comes the start of a new academic year, new projects, and several new goals for the Mindbridge Research and Evaluation Department. Additionally, we have been lucky to have two new interns join our team! This month, we welcome Divine and Jasper. Divine comes to us as a part of the Data Innovation Fellowship Program, and is currently undertaking a Masters of Social Work at the University of Southern Maine (USM). Jasper is also a USM student, pursuing dual degrees in Psychology and Criminology as well as dual minors of Social Justice and Ceramics. We are excited to have them on board!
Did You Know?
Researchers Identify a Potential Factor Behind our Growing Reluctance to Discuss Politics
Update from Mindbridge:
At Mindbridge, we are deeply committed to defending human rights, dignity, and equality for all. It has come to our attention that one of the authors featured in this month's newsletter article (below) has recently been suspended from Columbia University for harassing and doxxing pro-Palestinian staff and students. We unequivocally condemn any form of harassment and doxxing, as they are fundamentally antithetical to the principles of respect, non-violence, and the right to free expression that we uphold.
Harassment and doxxing are not only violations of individual rights, but they also foster environments of fear and suppression. As a human rights organization, we believe in the power of dialogue, respect for diverse perspectives, and the importance of maintaining safe spaces where all voices can be heard, including those advocating for Palestinian rights.
We stand in solidarity with all people advocating for peace, justice, and human rights, especially in times of conflict. The lives of Palestinians—who continue to face violence, occupation, and displacement—deserve the same respect, security, and dignity afforded to all individuals. We acknowledge that Israelis also deserve to live in safety, free from violence and fear. We strongly condemn the acts of terrorism committed by Hamas on October 7th and stand firmly against all forms of terrorism. True peace can only be achieved when the rights and dignity of all people, both Palestinians and Israelis, are recognized and upheld.
Additionally, we recognize that anti-Semitism, like all forms of bigotry and hate, is a human rights violation. We condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, just as we oppose any form of oppression and violence, as it undermines the fundamental human rights of individuals and communities.
At Mindbridge, we reaffirm our dedication to advancing human rights globally, rejecting any actions that perpetuate harm, and supporting efforts toward peace, equity, and freedom for all.
Sincerely,
Laura Ligouri
Executive Director
With just mere weeks to go before the 2024 election, recent research out of Columbia University sheds light on why it has become increasingly difficult for everyday people to discuss politics and reach “across the aisle”.
The researchers examined two sets of voters in the United States and Israel (N= 549, 403) before the American 2022 midterm elections and the 2022 Israeli Parliamentary elections. Some variables measured in both groups included particip[ant party affiliations, their beliefs in a “zero sum game”, and other metrics related to their openness (or avoidance) to discussing opposing viewpoints with others.
Article: Psypost, Published October 3rd, 2024
What do the researchers mean by a “zero sum game”?
Here, the researchers are referencing the cognitive bias that if the “other” wins, “we” must have lost. In terms of the psychological mechanisms behind group membership, human beings tend to categorize themselves into various groups: those who we perceive similar to us are our “ingroup” and those who we see as different are considered our “outgroup”. This concept transcends all kinds of personal identities (including but not limited to ethnicity, nationality, gender etc), but for the sake of the research at-hand we will stick to political ideology.
Often, human beings are prone to seeing all members of the outgroup as “the same”, and often have a negative view toward them, or at the very least a preference for our own ingroup. Therefore, in the scenario of a zero sum game bias, we often get very frustrated if our perceived outgroup gains an advantage: it must mean that our ingroup must have lost an advantage.
Unsurprisingly, all the political ideological samples across both countries fell into this line of thinking in the present research study. Results indicated that the more participants saw their country’s politics as a “zero-sum game”, the more likely they were to avoid talking to people with different views. This could be explained by these participants being generally less open to hearing opposing viewpoints and expecting such discourse to end in conflict.
In short, viewing politics as a zero-sum game is largely correlated with an avoidance of having discussions with political “outgroups”. This is not entirely surprising, as political discourse has been seen as increasingly divisive and polarized in recent years to the point where politics have become a “banned” topic at family gatherings and holidays.
Where do we go from here?
Mindbridge is well aware of the difficulties of this endeavor, but we are steadfast in our belief that “in order to change hearts and minds, you must first learn to access them”. Therefore, taking a cognitive approach to addressing the root causes of “zero sum” thinking should ideally break the monolith picture of how we view ideologies different from our own.
In fact, the researchers ask us to reflect on the following question: Have I had any meaningful, in-person, civil conversations with someone I disagree with over the past month? And, if not, why?
In the coming weeks, we challenge our readers to engage in civil discourse keeping in mind that not all of politics is a zero sum game - often ample room for compromise and common values when you look beyond the simplicity of “us vs them”.
The original article is linked here: Boland, F.K., Davidai, S. Zero-sum beliefs and the avoidance of political conversations. Commun Psychol 2, 43 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00095-4
Happenings & Events
The Mindbridge Institute is so excited to announce their upcoming 45-min class offerings! We have three coming up in the next month, with more offerings in November and December. Visit our website to see the full list!
10/15 FREE Virtual Peacekeeping: De-Escalation Techniques for Digital Discussions
11/6 FREE Virtual Peacekeeping: De-Escalation Techniques for Digital Discussions
11/7 Healing the Frontline: Mental Health Tools for Human Rights Advocates ($45)
The Mindbridge Center is also excited to be attending the 2024 Conference for North Carolina’s Nonprofits (@ncnonprofits) next week on October 23rd!
Mindbridge Executive Director and Founder, Laura Ligouri, will be presenting on October 23rd, along with our E-Learning Specialist Andrea Marzilli! Come visit our session "Neuroscience of Implicit Bias: Cutting-Edge Strategies for Non-Profit Leaders" at 2:15 PM! Register here!
In Other News
In southern Maine, Community Change Inc is conducting an inclusive walking tour in Biddeford and Sac on October 27th from 1-4 PM. This program is designed to support communities in telling stories directly from community members. Biddeford/Saco Racial Justice is partnering on this experience. To learn more, visit their social media.
Also, MYAN (Maine Youth Action Network) is excited to share that their Maine Youth Leadership Conference is open for registration until October 21st! The conference will take place in Augusta Civic Center on November 14-15th, 2024. Register here!
The Maine Boys to Men Training Institute is also running a multi-day training series in their Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP®). Upcoming trainings are taking place in South Paris (October 30-31st) and Portland, Maine (December 5-6th). To learn more, visit their website.
We are also very excited to shout out a recent article by Mindbridge Board Member Leo Hylton, “Shining Light on Humanity: DEI: In Word or Deed?”, published in the Bollard last month.
Finally, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference, hosted by Inclusion Maine, is currently open for registration! The conference takes place in Portland (ME) from February 11th-13th, 2025. Register here to learn more.
Upcoming Days of Observance:
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed during the month of October to raise awareness about the impacts of domestic violence and signs of abuse, as well as promote resources for those affected.
10/14 Indigenous Peoples' Day
Indigenous Peoples' Day recognizes and celebrates the history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous communities nationwide. It serves as an opportunity to address historical injustices and promote understanding and respect for Native peoples and their sovereignty. While President Biden officially recognized this day as a holiday in 2021, Maine’s then-governor Janet Mills signed it into law in 2019.
10/24: United Nations Day
Observed on October 24th, United Nations Day commemorates the founding of this vital organization in 1945. It highlights the organization's efforts in promoting peace, security, human rights, and sustainable development globally.
11/11: Veteran’s Day
Veteran’s Day is recognized on November 11th this year. This day honors the service and sacrifices of military veterans, recognizing their vital role in protecting freedom and human rights. It also serves as a reminder to advocate for the well-being of veterans to ensure that their rights and dignity are upheld in society.
11/13: World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day, celebrated on November 13th, highlights the importance of kindness in fostering empathy and understanding across communities. This day encourages individuals to engage in acts of kindness, reinforcing the belief that small gestures of kindness can create a big impact.
