Grant support to keep talking
Advocating for civil discourse and viewpoint diversity on campus and in the community earned Western Michigan University’s We Talk initiative a $30,000 Flexible Funding Opportunity grant from Heterodox Academy.
Founded in late 2019, We Talk is a grassroots movement committed to the idea that free speech and social justice can be reconciled by engaging people in interactive educational opportunities that promote civil discourse, viewpoint diversity and free speech rights and responsibilities. The initiative has the support of WMU students, faculty, staff and campus and community leaders.
Heterodox Academy is a nonpartisan collaborative of 5,000+ professors, educators, administrators, staff, and students who are committed to enhancing the quality of research and education by promoting open inquiry, viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement in institutions of higher learning. Several Western faculty, students and staff are members of HxA, including Jeff Breneman, vice president for government relations.
“This generous grant from Heterodox Academy will allow Western Michigan University to expand the programming of We Talk across the campus," said Breneman, a founding member of the initiative. "I’m immensely proud of our faculty, staff and students for embracing and engaging in this work. Together, we can build the necessary skills to encourage viewpoint diversity and honest dialogue on our campus and in the Kalamazoo community.”
More than 1,000 campus and community members have participated in We Talk programming despite the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic shortly after the initiative’s launch event in February 2020. Activities include a 2-day campus/community visit by a nationally recognized author in fall and spring semesters, monthly free speech cafés featuring campus and community panelists, and a conversational exercise that promotes connection and compassion—Moving Conversations @ WMU. Most events are recorded—often by student videographers—published on YouTube and available to the public for use in the classroom, workplace and at home.
President Edward Montgomery describes We Talk as a “concrete step” in helping people learn how to effectively communicate when dealing with difficult or sensitive topics and to build a more inclusive campus. "Civil discourse is a bedrock value of higher education and the academy. WMU is a place where the free exchange of ideas is not just welcomed, it is encouraged,” Montgomery said.
We Talk programming is designed to help people gain skills to have more meaningful conversations with others who have diverse backgrounds, interests, and viewpoints through learning/engagement opportunities, resources, and tools.
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We Talk program development is focused on improving the quality of research and education by increasing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. Your donation can help provide vital support to this initiative.
The We Talk civil discourse initiative is supported in part by Heterodox Academy. The ability for HxA to provide grants for HxCommunities events and other activities are made possible in full through the support of the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed at these events (or through such activities) are those of the individual grantees, organizers, speakers, presenters, and attendees of such events/activities and do not necessarily reflect the views of Heterodox Academy and/or the John Templeton Foundation.
