In a divided world, democracy thrives when we listen, not shout. By fostering curiosity, common ground, and open dialogue, we can bridge political divides and see each other as humans, not enemies. Change starts with courageous conversations—one at a time. Jane Porter is a professional facilitator, speaker, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Bridge Building Group. She’s on a mission to transform the world one conversation at a time through a community of bridge builders.Jane has spent the last fifteen years helping leaders who often wouldn’t be in the same room together, to have hard (but good!) conversations and find a way forward. Facilitating these groups has led to breakthroughs on some of the most challenging issues of our time: from how we extract natural resources thoughtfully, to how we reduce plastics, to how Indigenous people can lead on climate action.Only through facing and having difficult conversations will we heal divides and accelerate action on issues that matter.Jane lives in Hintonburg with her husband Mike and their two young kids and German Shepherd dog.Learn more about her and her work at www.bridgebuilding.ca. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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