Thursday, December 16
Bern, Switzerland
National Salon in the Spirit of Ubuntu: Seeking the Common Humanity in the Other
Our shared concern about the threat to American democracy is an important ongoing conversation that was launched at the National Salon in November with political scientist Michael Contarino, will be continued at the upcoming National Salon on December 16th, and will certainly accompany us into the upcoming election year.
We’ve invited a speaker from the US to give us his observations about the work of the organization BRAVER ANGELS which seeks to bring together political antagonists who identify “red” or “blue” but are willing to engage in dialogue with each other. Since dialogue has as its prerequisite a willingness to listen and to show respect to the speaker, it’s a challenging activity particularly in these radically polarized times.
Our speaker is Distinguished Professor Charles Heckscher, director of the Center for the Study of Collaboration in Work and Society, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. At the center, he is currently leading two research projects: one on the development of public conversation, and a second on the effects of teamwork in health care.
His research focuses on organization change and its consequences for employees and unions, on the possibilities for more collaborative and democratic forms of work, and on the challenge of rebuilding trust in societal institutions.
He will lead us in a discussion about the philosophy of Ubuntu and help us to see the "universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity."
WHEN
Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 07:00 PM Bern Time
CONTACT
Elizabeth Voss
[email protected]