For several years, Mediators Foundation focused energy and resources on the dream of a “citizen’s convention.” Our dream was to provide a sharp contrast to partisan conventions that mobilized Americans against each other by finding a city that would host a gathering during an election year that would celebrate those who bridged divides.

After serious efforts to build partnerships with Kansas City and Salt Lake City, the effort shifted into a long-term project led by Brandyn Keating. For more information, go to https://www.younify.org

After Utah’s second Citizen Summit in January, 2018, an exploratory committee has been formed toward putting on a national Citizen Summit — A Convention on Respect Collaboration and Solutions — in the fall of 2019 in Salt Lake City, UT with other venues around the country .The narratives of the two party conventions could be stated as “elect me and my party and we’ll “fix it” and that of the Citizen Summit, “it will take citizens and leaders from all sides to ‘fix it’”.  One way of looking at the division in the country is between those who want to come together with civility and respect, to listen and learn, to help resolve the great challenges we face at all levels of society and those who don’t or aren’t yet ready.

As our colleague, Brian Clancy, co-founder and co-director of Big Tent Nation observes, “There is a heartfelt need for an authentic new path in American politics. Lunging from right to left and now left to right is what we’ve been doing for many years now — the very period in which the American Dream has dangerously eroded.  The big challenges fracturing our nation remain beyond the capacity of any one side to resolve unilaterally and sustainably.”

Building on our work at Mediators over the years, and particularly on the work of The Bridge Alliance, The National Association of Non-Partisan Reformers, Unrig the System Summit, and Listen First in Charlottesville, the Citizen Summit is designed to:

• showcase and highlight what’s working in our country in healing and bridging divides, often beneath the political and media radar,

• (re)create a culture of dignity and collaboration,

• and support bridge leaders and citizens working across our differences for mutual understanding and solutions.

We also see the Summit as a way to further catalyze and enhance a nascent transpartisan constituency — not a third party — bringing together all Americans who truly want to work together