Learning Together

The purpose of the Learning Together series is to create intentional spaces in which our campus community can wrestle together with multiple, complex, and difficult narratives that address timely issues relevant to our campus and beyond. What we are doing in this series is practicing perspective-taking, which includes emphasizing active listening, acknowledgment of differing worldviews, and a commitment to understanding experiences outside our own. Sessions are intended to invite multiple perspectives and narratives, to learn together about complex issues while also engaging in dialogue so that we can better understand our shared humanity. Registration is open to faculty, staff, and students.

Events in the series will share the following approach: 

  • An experience of shared texts that can include speakers, films, artwork, podcasts, etc., books, and articles with small-group discussion and dialogue so that attendees interact with one another as learners.

  • Registration is limited to the campus community and scaled appropriately so there can be a discussion.

  • Ensuring dialogue groups are small and led by a skilled facilitator.

2024-2025 Learning Together Series

This year’s Learning Together series emerged from campus-wide input, focusing on topics of pressing concern. We heard from our campus that concerns about democracy and its capacity to address urgent issues is on community members’ minds, leading to a two-part event exploring the challenges and opportunities facing democracy today, and coalition building in changing landscapes. This series is designed to create space for dialogue and perspective-sharing on the challenges facing democracy today and the ways people are working together in the face of those challenges.  

 

Fall 2024

Part 1: Challenges and Opportunities of American Democracy 

Monday, October 21, 2024, 6 - 8 p.m. 

Our democracy is facing significant internal challenges: increasingly polarized party politics, disengaged and disenfranchised voters, and voter concerns over critical global issues. Addressing these challenges will require massive, systems-level change, but there are clear paths forward to revitalize and strengthen our democratic processes. This session will feature:

  • Henry L. Chambers (School of Law);

  • Dana El Kurd (Department of Political Science); and,

  • Ernest McGowen (Department of Political Science).

 

Spring 2025

Part 2: Coalition Building in Changing Landscapes - A Conversation with Aziz Abu Sarah & Maoz Inon

Monday, February 10, 2025, 6-8 p.m.

Registration Link

Even in the most divided times, coalitions are emerging among unlikely allies. Palestinian-American Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon are globally recognized peace advocates who frequently discuss the conflict in Israel-Palestine and are co-leaders of InterAct, which aims to increase understanding of alternative narratives in conflict zones, overcoming hatred and fear by building empathy and understanding. 

In this session, we will explore:

  • How are grassroots movements, both locally and globally, building coalitions to promote understanding and cooperation in conflict zones, such as Israel-Palestine?  

  • What lessons can global coalition-building efforts teach us about revitalizing democracy?

In addition to this event, during their visit to campus they will be facilitating the following small group, topical dialogue sessions with invited participants.

  • Protest in the Arab World (Class Visit)
  • Building a Tool Kit for Peacemaking
  • Building a Network of Solidarity & Support Between Shared Communities
  • Dialogue Session: Lawyers as Peace-Builders
  • Dialogue Session: Coalition-Building Across Faiths
  • Palestinian and Israeli Narratives: Moving Toward Healing Over Harm

If you have any questions about the Spring 2025 Learning Together Series, please contact Sylvia Gale (sgale@richmond.edu) or Patricia Herrera (pherrera@richmond.edu).

 

Looking Ahead: Fall 2025

The Fall 2025 event will continue exploring coalition-building efforts, focusing on how local organizers drive change through trust-building as a practice of democracy. Stay tuned for details on this timely and critical conversation.

Past Learning Learning Together Events

Spring 2024

In Spring 2024, the Provost’s Office, in collaboration with the School of Arts & Sciences, the Law School, the Office of the Chaplaincy, the Office for Institutional Equity & Inclusion, and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, initiated the Learning Together series with three opportunities for our campus community to learn, discuss, hear differing perspectives, and engage in small group dialogues around texts and speakers focused on Israel-Palestine. Each workshop was content based, with shared texts and/or guest speakers, followed by facilitation of discussion. The sessions included:

 

Roots of the Conflict cohosted by Martha Merritt and Craig Kocher, Monday, Feb. 12

  • During this first session, the goal was a humanizing dialogue about Israel-Palestine with a focus on history. In preparation for the gathering, participants were encouraged to read the introductory sections to Neil Caplan’s The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Contested Histories. 

 

Israeli Perspectives with Dr. Fish, cohosted by Sara Tandy and Sylvia Gale, Monday, Feb. 19

 

Palestinian Perspectives with Jehad Abusalim, cohosted by Sylvia Gale and Sara Tandy Tuesday, Feb. 27