Citizens in the United States are going to the voting booth today, if they have not already mailed in or dropped off their ballots. Pax Christi USA prays for a peaceful process.
As Executive Director Charlene Howard wrote a few weeks ago, “[W]e mustn’t forget that voting is one of our highest privileges and powers. Civic engagement is our duty. The principles of Catholic Social Teaching encourage us to remember that it is intimately connected to the God-given value we all possess. The principle of family, community and participation as described by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) states that: ‘The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community … .’ This means valuing the dignity of people by making sure all are provided with what they need to not just survive but to thrive; this is a communal responsibility worth fighting for, a real and achievable goal fueled by our hope.”
Education for Justice, a project coordinated by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, invited Pax Christi USA staff members Michelle Sherman and Stephen Niamke to provide a resource to help facilitate potential difficult conversations during and after this election season, conversations that can build empathy and understanding.
Click here to download: Conversations in conflict: A resource for post-election conversations.
One technique that Michelle and Stephen recommend is called CLARA — 1) Calm and center, 2) Listen, 3) Affirm, 4) Repeat or respond, and 5) Add.
It’s important that this be considered more than just a technique or trick to win an argument. In reality, it’s not about winning. It’s about recognizing the situation, listening, and de-escalating. The goal is to build a relationship in that moment—the type of relationship (or at least an interaction) where the other party feels heard, not judged, and, to the degree possible, understood or accepted for who they are and how they are in that moment.
The “Conversations in conflict” resource also includes information about the Kingian principles of nonviolence which can be adopted in every situation.
Click here to download: Conversations in conflict: A resource for post-election conversations.