Shared Future vs. Shared Vision with Byron Bland

How do you repair polarized relationships? Many political depolarization strategies emphasize the value of common interests and elevating similarities to drown out our differences - contact theory, for short. Such strategies certainly have their place, but there is something to be said about learning skills that allow you to co-exist with someone whose worldview stands in firm contrast with your own, absent of any consideration of any shared traits.

Byron Bland is a peacemaker who's worked in some of the world's most highly polarized conflict zones - Northern Ireland, Israel-Palestine, and South Africa. Over the years, he's made critical observations about what it takes to co-exist with your enemy. Peace is complex. It does not guarantee harmony, nor does it grant either side exactly the outcomes that they desire. At its core, however, it ensures we can all live and share space.

Byron talks with us about what peace and justice in conflict looks like. He elaborates on the difference between "a vision for a shared future" and "a shared vision of the future". His insights offer an honest, realistic take on what depolarization can and must look like to have meaningful, sustained impact.