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Suited for like-minded and politically diverse audiences alike, our short film Purple and robust post-screening DIY Discussion Guide provide everything you need to introduce your community to bridge-building skills and frameworks. Purple has reached more than 100,000 viewers—from members of Congress to middle school students—and screened in hundreds of universities, churches, synagogues, workplaces, schools, museums, think tanks, and public libraries.
In this exercise, participants surface underlying concerns, commitments, and motivations through exchanging formative life experiences. The activity strengthens relationships and builds scaffolding for getting into more charged conversations across differences of background and views. It can make a great introductory exercise that lays a foundation for:
A contentious decision-making process on a Board or team.
An institutional, communal, or intergroup dialogue process that directly investigates disagreements in order to strengthen connection, learning, and problem-solving.
We offer thought leadership, writing, consultation, and speaking in service of inspiring audiences and institutions to see the humanity beneath our conflicts and the most effective strategies for transforming them. We’ve delivered talks everywhere from college campuses to Hollywood talent agencies to prominent think tanks and conferences.
(Israeli-Palestinian conflict only)
We offer multi-vocal educational sessions presenting substantive information from a variety of points of view on core issues such as the Roots of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, taught in a “dual narrative” approach. These classes are appropriate for knowledgeable participants and those with little to no background, and offer a chance for participants who have greater sympathy and solidarity with “one side” to stretch their thinking and try on other lenses.
RTT believes training and skilled facilitation are crucial ingredients for breaking through polarized, stuck divisions and forging greater understanding and cohesion. It can be challenging to address differences both directly and constructively based solely on a guide in two dimensions. RTT focuses primarily on training, skill-building, and facilitation in lieu of turnkey resources, in order to support people to shift escalation and distrust into connection, collaboration, and repair.
That said, we seek to empower and support individual citizens, alumni of our training programs, and practitioners alike to model productive engagement across divides wherever they are—in classrooms, workplaces, congregations, and beyond. We also seek to scale the insights gained through interpersonal dialogue by disseminating media content, thought leadership, and DIY resources. Follow this page for featured tools that you can use independently or with minimal support.
In clearly and carefully defining differences, we found the freedom to find core commonalities in uncommon places. This is the work we need to be doing. This practice of civil discourse is a game-changer in society today. When we talk with each other again, we will not be fooled by confusing divisive messages. And we have a chance to save our democracy.”
As someone who is able to straddle two worlds—rural conservative and left, plus everything in between—I think this process provides the tools we need in our tool belts to assist in heated/charged environments. Resetting the Table offers a truly powerful set of tools in combating the highly charged political and religious environment that we are in. As a faith-based leader, I can see all of the value this toolkit can bring to bridging our world and being in community together.”
I am inspired to engage in challenging conversations I would previously have been eager to avoid. I see how being curious and listening for what people are committed to and passionate about can help me discover my own passion and fears with a new and curious mind. I see the possibility of holding such conversations more gently, instead of with white knuckles and gritting my teeth, I have the opportunity to sit and ponder and discover another person’s soul. What a gift! I found the experience to be invaluable and far exceeded my expectations.”
I have been jaded for a long time on why bother having these conversations. But, there was a moment where something just melted into feeling heard and seen. And then I got it—that we were being trained to help others have those same moments with us. I’ve had those magical experiences with people where you truly feel together in the conversation within difference, but had forgotten. I am excited to have the strength again to do that and for all the gifts that come with that.”
Resetting the Table is a bold and courageous way to engage with people in your community. It provides the tools you need to be able to come alongside your neighbor with genuine love and understanding when faced with opposing views. It helps you see that the goal is not to ‘convert’ them to your opinion, but to allow them to be seen and heard, thereby allowing for productive, healthy and transformational conversations. This program helps to break down biases and existing patterns of communication that are not helpful and may actually be hurtful, thereby allowing hope and healing to actually take place in the community.”
I really don't know of any more important conversation for the American public. [RTT’s short film] Purple provides an opening for discussion about differences of all kinds. Watching the facilitator guiding the conversation and clarifying viewpoints gave me great ideas of how to proceed with discussions of my own. Thank you for such a carefully guided conversation.”
