Pathways Forward: How Can We Restore Trust and Faith in America?
This conference, a gathering of the Depolarization Labs & Trainers Alliance (DeLTA), was held on October 27th, 2025. DeLTA brought together students, scholars, and nonprofit leaders to examine different approaches to building trust and countering political violence. Attendees learned about intervention techniques, heard from national nonprofits, and discovered strategies used by other universities.
We’re so thankful for the incredible insights from our speakers and our community.
Some highlights we’d like to mention are:
📢 The stark reminder from Angel Eduardo during the “Free Speech, Hate Speech, and Online Radicalization” panel about media consumption: just because you consume media doesn’t mean you’re more knowledgeable—it just makes you more insane. A compelling thought on how we process information today.
📢 Maury Giles during the “Pizza and Perspectives” session spoke on the timely concept of conflict entrepreneurs—an idea from Amanda Ripley’s book High Conflict—who have incentives to divide us. Understanding who profits from division is key to overcoming it.
📢 A major highlight that gave people hope for the future was Keith Allred’s presentation, sharing examples of how bridging organizations like the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) have made legitimate progress, helping push through major bipartisan legislation of the past decade.
The day also featured an excellent presentation on Civic Health and Campus Initiatives by Paul Brown, and critical Skill-Building Sessions: Braver Angels Debate by Natalie Laroche and “Star-Manning” by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
Participating institutions and organizations included:
Universities
- George Mason University
- American University
- George Washington University
- University of Maryland
Nonprofits
- Braver Angels
- National Institute for Civil Discourse
- Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
📢Some compelling quotes from attendees that we would like to highlight are:
- 📢 “Why has the media focused on the political identity of a perpetrator more than the actual violence and the reasons behind it?”
- 📢 In response to the prompt “What new ideas have sparked your interest?” an attendee responded, “Using issue-based conversations, not ‘cross-divide’ dialogue. How can we reduce salience of political identity?”
- 📢 “What steps would you take to find common ground with someone when their opinions are a direct attack on you? It is personal.”
In Conversation With…
Keith Allred
Keith Allred is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD), which builds the nation’s capacity to engage differences constructively. He founded CommonSense American, NICD’s flagship program that unites Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to identify broadly supported policy solutions—successfully championing four bipartisan bills in Congress. Before leading NICD, Keith was an Associate Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and began his career at Columbia University. He holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior and Social Psychology from UCLA and a BA in American History from Stanford. A fifth-generation Idahoan, Keith also grew up on his family’s cattle ranch and once ranked eighth worldwide in the National Cutting Horse Association.
Maury Giles
Maury Giles is the CEO of Braver Angels, the nation’s largest volunteer-led, cross-partisan organization dedicated to depolarizing America. For more than two decades, Maury has led and scaled mission-driven organizations and built high-trust teams across ideological divides. A longtime Braver Angels volunteer, he previously moderated Red/Blue workshops and spearheaded bipartisan legislative initiatives through Braver Politics. Earlier in his career, Maury worked as a journalist and political strategy consultant, advising candidates, associations, and nonprofits across five continents. He studied at BYU and New Mexico State University, where he now chairs the College of Arts & Sciences National Advisory Board and serves as an adjunct professor.
Angel Eduardo
Angel Eduardo is the Senior Writer and Editor at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the creator of the rhetorical concept of “star-manning.” He also serves as board chair for the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) and sits on the advisory boards of Atheists for Liberty and the Institute for Liberal Values. Through his work, Angel promotes a culture of free speech, open inquiry, and good-faith dialogue across political and ideological lines. His philosophy is summed up in six words that guide his public engagement: Be kind; we’re all first drafts.
Paul Brown
Paul Brown is Associate Clinical Professor and Director of the Civic Innovation Center at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. He co-leads the Maryland Democracy Initiative and directs the university’s 2024 U.S. Election Assistance Commission grant to recruit student poll workers. Paul also co-developed the Big Ten Collaboration: Democracy in the 21st Century, uniting universities to advance civic education and engagement. His work leverages the strengths of a flagship public university to foster youth civic participation, strengthen democratic institutions, and promote innovative forms of deliberative democracy at local and national levels.
Victoria Gurevich
Dr. Victoria Gurevich is a Senior Researcher at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University. Her research focuses on public opinion toward ideologically motivated violence in the United States and how perceptions differ across ideological motives. She holds a PhD in Political Science from The Ohio State University and previously worked with the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3). Her broader interests include radicalization, extremism, violence prevention, and post-conflict rehabilitation—bridging academic research with practical strategies to reduce polarization and promote democratic resilience.
Babak Bahador
Dr. Babak Bahador is an Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University and Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Since 2006, his teaching and research have focused on media, peace and conflict, and political communication. Babak leads GW’s Media and Peacebuilding Project, which bridges academic research and peacebuilding practice, and is co-editing a book on media’s role in peacebuilding. He previously chaired the International Communication section of the International Studies Association and founded Peace News, a media initiative covering peace efforts in conflict zones. Before academia, he founded and led a Toronto-based market research firm acquired in 2006.
Solon Simmons
Dr. Solon Simmons is Professor and Director of the Narrative Transformation Lab at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. A sociologist and leading scholar of narrative in peace and politics, Solon develops tools that help bridge divides through storytelling and dialogue. He has served as Interim Dean of the Carter School, Vice President for Global Strategy at Mason, and is currently President of the Faculty Senate. His courses explore the craft of peace writing, conflict theory, narrative, and discourse, and his research informs practical applications in both justice-oriented activism and collaborative peacebuilding.