As America marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, something unusual is happening beneath the noise of national politics. Organizations that have never coordinated with one another — bridge-builders and conservationists, faith communities and civic clubs, veterans' groups and student movements — are arriving independently at the same conclusion:
Independence was the first step. Interdependence is the next.
The founders declared independence so that a free people could govern themselves. The hard part was never disagreement; Americans have always disagreed. Our challenge is that we increasingly struggle to act as one people despite those disagreements. Because a nation can only become so divided before it faces a choice: continue fragmenting or begin reconnecting.
On July 22, the Leadership Circle will convene online to explore what interdependence actually means in practice, and what it would take to build more of it. Interdependence, in this context, could look like collaborative civic service projects that unite different political groups around a shared local goal, cross-organizational campaigns to support veterans and first responders, or joint town hall discussions led by students, faith leaders, and business communities working together to solve challenges from climate resilience to community safety. The gathering brings together three leaders whose organizations approach the same problem from different angles:
- John Gable, CEO of AllSides, which helps people better understand the world and each other by revealing bias and providing perspectives from all sides of media stories.
- Maury Giles, CEO of Braver Angels, the nation's largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.
- Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA, which empowers young people on college campuses across the country to engage in constructive dialogue and disagreement to improve the quality of politics.
The Leadership Circle is a forum convened by Bill Shireman for philanthropists, corporate leaders, experts, activists, influencers, and strategists to learn together, build relationships, and collaborate around pragmatic solutions for a healthy environment and democracy. Meeting monthly over Zoom and annually at EarthX in Dallas, it exists on a simple premise: ten kinds of power at the same table can accomplish what none can alone. These are conversations, not webinars. Each participant is encouraged to bring insights from their own experiences and organizations to help shape actionable ideas and future partnerships.
The purpose of this particular gathering is modest and ambitious at once: to meet one another, learn from one another, recognize one another, and begin planning together. Our intended outcomes include forging new partnerships between organizations, forming working groups on issues requiring collective action, and initiating cross-sector projects that can be launched or advanced through our collaboration. Success will look like concrete action steps, the development of joint initiatives, and a network of civic leaders working together after the event. The generation of 1776 declared independence. The generation of 2026 has a chance to begin something equally consequential, creating a stronger and more connected America.
Participation is open to anyone interested in that work.
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/oq3j0mFYSlyLXu_pi1mvyg
Learn more: www.solutioncitizen.org/leadership-circle | Hello@SolutionCitizen.org
