World in Conversation

In a time when conversations too often end in conflict, Dr. Laurie Mulvey believes the key to healing isn’t avoiding disagreement, but rather leaning into it. The center’s newest effort, the “Red-Blue Dialogues,” brings conservatives and liberals together in structured group settings. The goal isn’t to change minds but to cultivate understanding and cooperation on shared problems. While empathy often emerges from these exchanges, Mulvey said it’s not the goal. “Empathy happens, but the goal is building solutions with our opponents,” she explained. “You don’t build the world with your friends. You build it with your opponents. Otherwise, you don’t build it at all.”