Civic Engagement
PTU Partners in Faith in America
Why Paths to Understanding is part of Faith in America — and what we can all do before November 3 The contract we already share Across the wisdom traditions we walk with — Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Indigenous, humanist and many more — there is remarkable agreement on two things. Every person has…
Read MoreBuilding Civic Muscle, Together: Notes from the July Civic Innovation Forum
On July 6, the Thriving Together Washington Civic Innovation Forum gathered faith leaders, community organizers, and civic innovators from across the state on Zoom. Paths to Understanding convenes this forum in partnership with Renew to Thrive and the InterMovement Impact Project — because this is exactly the civic engagement work we believe our moment requires:…
Read MoreThe Moral and Relational Crisis Beneath American Division
One of the deepest questions many activists, organizers, faith leaders, and community leaders ask today is this: Why don’t people seem to care anymore? After violence, cruelty, corruption, or public dishonesty, many people feel exhausted and bewildered. It can seem as though empathy itself is disappearing. Some conclude that America is in a moral crisis.…
Read MoreThe Civil Contract and Cross-Group Relationships
Many leaders I talk to feel the same tension. We can see the division.We can feel the distance growing.We know something deeper than politics is breaking down. So we ask: What do we actually do about it? For a long time, we thought the answer was better ideas. Those matter. But they are not enough.…
Read MoreThe Work of Renewing Our Civil Contract (Part 1)
What holds us together—and what happens when it frays Two weeks ago, I sat in a room with about 400 people in Spokane, brought together by the Innovia Foundation. They came from small towns and rural counties across eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Farmers. Nonprofit leaders. Faith leaders. Community organizers. People who care about their…
Read MoreDehumanization and Political Violence
Political violence doesn’t begin with weapons—it begins with how we see each other. When we reduce people to categories, fear grows, trust breaks down, and harm becomes easier to justify. This resource helps leaders understand how dehumanization develops, why it spreads, and how it can be interrupted. It offers practical tools to strengthen relationships, set…
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