How do we engage people on issues that have become politically charged?
That’s a question we see people facing more and more as they try to make progress on historically polarized issues like climate change and conservation.
It’s easy to fall into approaches that focus on winning arguments or getting people to see things our way. But what if we focus on meeting people where they are, understand what matters to them, and identify common interests and values instead?
We won’t always agree, but there are ways to build trust and create more favorable conditions for constructive conversations.
Here are a few practices to consider:
Offer a new lens
One way to connect is to give people a different way to understand their shared interests, instead of asking them to reconsider their chosen political group or ideology.
Often there are more points of connection than we may initially think. Rather than starting with where you disagree on an issue, take time to understand what matters to the people you’re hoping to engage with. What do you genuinely have in common? What do you care about together?
For example, a strong sense of local identity can be a powerful connection point. What does it mean to be from this community? What values, experiences, and aspirations do people share regardless of their political group?
Climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe, for example, has long demonstrated how faith and community values can provide an entry point for conversations about climate change with audiences who may not initially connect with the issue politically.
Connect the issue to people’s everyday lives
Issues like climate change, marine conservation, and environmental pollution have impacts that people experience directly, regardless of their political affiliation. Consider insurance costs, public health, livelihoods, and community resilience.
Connecting an issue to people’s lived experiences moves it from an abstract data point to a tangible issue, creating opportunities to establish shared understanding of both the challenges and solutions.
Take, for example, marine ecologist and COMPASS alum Jenni Pollack’s approach to connecting with local fishers. Rather than approaching coastal conservation strictly from an environmental perspective, she highlighted the benefits that conservation efforts can have on the local economy and the livelihoods of people who depend on healthy coastal ecosystems. Fishers and oyster farmers have a stake in thriving businesses and resilient coastlines. Identifying and acknowledging how conservation efforts support their priorities can help open doors to a more productive conversation.
Be clear and transparent
Connecting with people across differences doesn’t mean claiming neutrality on the issue or outcome. In fact, pretending to be neutral when you have a clear position can undermine trust. Being open about your values, perspectives, and positions can be an important part of establishing credibility.
For experts and scientists, this means distinguishing what the evidence tells us from our own perspectives, acknowledging where there are uncertainties, and being transparent about our interests and potential biases.
Being upfront about where we stand, while remaining open and respectful towards those who disagree, creates a stronger foundation for engagement.
Build partnerships across communities
Sometimes we won’t be the best people to start or lead a conversation with a new or skeptical group.
Look for opportunities to build relationships with people who are already trusted in those communities. These partners don’t need to be experts in the science; they bring their own expertise, experience, and relationships to the conversation. For example, a farmer may be better positioned to lead conversations with other farmers about water security and its impacts. A respected local business owner may be more successful at starting a discussion on the economic opportunities of clean energy.
Be thoughtful about when to ask for an introduction and when to offer support behind the scenes. Sometimes the most valuable contribution you can make is to create an opportunity for someone else to lead a conversation with a community they know and understand better. Share resources, offer to be available to answer more technical questions if needed, and always take the opportunity to learn from them. Their insights can help us better understand the context in which we’re working and shape more relevant, meaningful conversations.
Sandy Wynn-Stelt, COMPASS community expert and advocate working on the impacts of PFAS contamination, has spoken about the importance of environmental researchers building connections with the people in the communities they work with. She’s often helped researchers connect and build trust with other community members at neighborhood meetings. As she explained, “We are there to let people know that the staff have helped us and will help them too. Those relationships are key. That’ll do you better than any degree you have.”
You may already know some folks you can connect with or maybe you may you need to actively seek new relationships beyond existing networks. We recommend trying our landscape mapping exercise to identify existing connections and opportunities.
Finally, it’s important to acknowledge that connecting across differences doesn’t mean there won’t be disagreements. There may be situations where there are conflicts of interests, competing priorities, and difficult trade-offs. However, showing that we understand and respect different perspectives can go a long way in creating conditions where people engage constructively, understand what’s at stake, and identify where there is enough common ground to move forward together.
We’re here to help
Navigating political differences is a worthwhile but challenging task. It requires us to think differently about who we engage with and how we approach conversations.
If you’re working on a contentious issue and are looking for guidance on how to engage across political differences, we’d love to help. Our Preparing for Partisanship workshop explores partisan challenges and provides practical advice for navigating difficult conversations. We also offer more tailored support through individual or small group coaching.
