This October, I have the opportunity to join a small delegation of civic, bridge-building, and democracy leaders traveling to Brazil through a project called the Brazilian Blueprint, organized by Stories Change Power
I want to share why I believe this matters for the work of Paths to Understanding — and why I hope some of you will consider helping support my participation.
Over the last several years, many of us have felt something changing in our society.
People are not just disagreeing. Many people now fear that other groups have abandoned the moral commitments that make society possible. Trust between groups is weakening. Social media and political systems reward outrage and fear. Loneliness and isolation are increasing. More and more people feel exhausted, suspicious, and disconnected from one another.
At Paths to Understanding, we see this every day. It is one of the reasons we focus so deeply on rebuilding relationships, reducing social distance, and creating spaces where people can encounter one another face-to-face as human beings again.
But we also know this challenge is not unique to the United States.
Brazil has experienced many of the same pressures we are facing here: rising polarization, disinformation, attacks on democratic institutions, political violence, and deep struggles around identity, history, and belonging. In some ways, their recent experience parallels our own January 6 experience very closely.
At the same time, Brazil has also developed responses, civic strategies, and community practices that may help us think differently about our own future.
This delegation will bring together about 20 leaders from across the United States working in democracy renewal, bridge-building, faith communities, civic engagement, communications, and public life. We will spend time with Brazilian civic leaders, democracy practitioners, educators, and community organizations learning together around four major areas:
- Social cohesion and belonging
- Electoral integrity
- Disinformation and misinformation
- Equal treatment under the law
What interests me most is not importing policies from another country. It is learning how communities under pressure build resilience, trust, civic courage, and democratic culture.
I believe this connects deeply to the work we are already doing through the Potluck Project, Let’s Go Together, the Washington Civic Innovation Network, and our broader efforts to strengthen relationships across lines of difference.
One of the things I often say is that human beings survive through cooperation — first within groups, and then between groups. When fear grows between groups, society becomes fragile. We cannot simply argue our way out of that fragility. We must rebuild relationships, civic habits, and shared experiences that help people see one another as human again.
That is why this opportunity matters to me.
I believe the future of democracy will not be rebuilt only through elections, policy, or institutions — important as those are. It will also depend on whether ordinary people and local communities can recover the civic muscle needed to live together across differences without falling into fear and dehumanization.
I hope to bring back practical insights, new relationships, and fresh imagination that can strengthen the work we are already building here in Washington State and beyond.
The total cost of the delegation is approximately $10,000, which includes travel, lodging, translation, safety coordination, and the learning program itself. Paths to Understanding has committed significant support toward the trip, and I am also contributing personally.
If you would like to help support my participation, I would deeply appreciate it.
Please use this link to contribute: https://givebutter.com/the-brazilian-blueprint/terrykyllo
You can also make a contribution through Paths to Understanding and note “Brazilian Blueprint” in the memo or donation note.
If you would like to learn more about the initiative itself, here are two helpful resources:
Thank you for supporting the work of building a society where everyone belongs and everyone can thrive.
Rev. Terry Kyllo
Executive Director, Paths to Understanding