As we settle back into our weekly routine after the year-end break, I am excited to share the latest developments and insights from our vibrant community at the Bridge Alliance Education Fund. The beginning of 2024 has been a period of reflection and strategic planning, particularly with the upcoming election capturing our members' and partners' attention and efforts.

Our network is actively engaged in a variety of critical initiatives. Among these are the structural reforms where dedicated groups are not only advancing new campaigns but also safeguarding the significant achievements we have made. In addition, there's a unified call across our community for greater transparency in campaign financing among presidential candidates, alongside heightened awareness of the challenges faced by election workers. We're exploring the expectations Americans have from their political representatives, the persistent issues that will likely dominate the election discourse, and the influential role of A.I. and data in shaping the electoral process.

One of the highlights of our collective research efforts is the insightful work by The Horizons Project. Their video explainer for their "Pillars Project" eloquently details the roles played by various sectors - including faith-based organizations, businesses, unions & professional associations, and veterans/military groups - both in supporting authoritarian regimes and in bolstering pro-democracy movements, both in the U.S. and globally. This crucial knowledge guides democracy practitioners to engage these influential groups effectively during this pivotal period.

A common theme underlies all these diverse initiatives - the pressing need for Americans to bridge the divides that separate us and come together to uphold the values of our democratic republic.

In line with this, our Bridging Movement Alignment Council partners are leaning into the "Disagree Better Campaign." I highly recommend you attend next week's event titled "Difficult Conversations for the Sake of Democracy" to learn more about the campaign. This event, hosted by our partners at the National Civic League, will feature speakers from Listen First Project, Bridge USA, 92NY, and The Village Square. Together, they will delve into a timely and critical question: Are reasonable disagreements still possible in today's divisive political landscape? 

Your engagement and support are crucial as we navigate these challenging yet promising times. I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming event and continuing our journey toward a healthier and more robust democracy.

Featured Content

AllSides (Article) January 23rd: When the Republican Primary Campaign Takes a Detour

Ballotpedia (Blog) January 23rd: Initiative campaign to repeal ranked-choice voting in Alaska submits signatures

BillTrack50 (Article) January 9th: Review of 2023: How Well Did Congress Do?

Divided We Fall (Article) January 10th: Blue Waves and Red Lines: The Democratic Party's Immigration Conundrum

Horizons Project (Video) January 23rd: Understanding Pillars of Support

Interactivity Foundation (Article) January 18th: Just Imagine...A Thousand Words

Living Room Conversations (Guide) Trust in Elections Conversation Guide

NAFCM (Funding Opportunity) Closes February 19th: JAMS Mini-Grant 2024

Unite America (Statement) January 19th: Statement on Louisiana’s “taxpayer-funded power grab”

Veterans for All Voters (Newsletter) January 15th: Janurary 2024 Updates

Podcasts

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) January 18th: What Americans Want from Politicians — And What They're Not Getting: Sean Westwood

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) January 12th: What Could Go Right? 2024 Predictions Show

Independent Voter Project (Politic Deli) January 16th: A.I. and Data: How They Will Shape the 2024 Election

McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) January 22nd: Tim Alberta on evangelicals and Republicans

The Village Square (Village SquareCast) January 18th: Rachel Brown: The Roots of Belonging & The Risks of Othering

Citizen Connect Featured Events

The News Literacy Project (January 26th @ 9 am EST) NewsLitCamp®: The importance of local news

USC Center for the Political Future (January 30th @ 9:30 AM PST) Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics

National Civic League (January 30th @ 1:00 pm EST) Difficult Conversations for the Sake of Democracy

92NY Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (January 30th @ 7 pm EST) Backsliding Democracies and Women’s Rights in the U.S., Part 1

Bridge Entertainment Lab (January 31st @ 1 pm CST) Creating New American Stories of Us: The Transformative Promise of Documentary Storytelling

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Lauren Stiller Rikleen, January 5th: Universities cannot be bystanders in these troubled times

Charles Savenor, January 5th: Together we must confront the rise in hate crimes and uphold our inalienable rights

Mark A. Graber, January 8th: Why 14th Amendment bars Trump from office

Steve Corbin, January 10th: Taking stock of the political, economic and social fabric as we kick off 2024

Susan Minichiello, January 22nd: Misinformation isn’t just coming from your cranky uncle

Members In The News

Business For America (Fast Company) January 4th: What to expect from sustainability and social impact in 2024

Issue One (CNN) January 12th: Not MAGA enough: 2020 election skeptic quit his job after facing blowback from angry election deniers

American Promise, Business for America, Issue One, and RepresentUs (The Hill) January 23rd: Watchdogs urge presidential candidates to disclose top campaign fundraisers