As Americans continue to grapple with deepening political and cultural divides, a new kind of gathering is taking root on the Eastern Shore—one aimed not at debate, but at dialogue.
On Thursday, January 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, the Talbot County Free Library will host a community conversation led by Rick Hughes, local community organizer, and Heather Mizeur, former congressional candidate and founder of the We Are One Alliance.
“The one question that kept coming up,” says Hughes, “was: what can we do? People in Oxford, St. Michaels, and Easton have formed citizen groups precisely because they’re alarmed by the division in our society. They wanted a safe space where people from all walks of life and political persuasions could actually talk, and listen, to one another.”
Hughes, familiar with Mizeur’s work, reached out with an invitation. “She has one of the answers to that question. The old way of talking isn’t working anymore.”
Mizeur, who now leads the We Are One Alliance, sees this polarization as a national emergency.
“Our polarization is our greatest national security threat,” she says. “According to a recent New York Times/Siena poll, 64 percent of the country believes we’re too divided to solve our problems. After the economy, the number two issue was the division itself. That’s historic.”
Her response? A new framework for civic dialogue, one that emphasizes curiosity over conflict and connection over judgement.
“Most of us have been trained to lead with our talking points,” she explains, “to win an argument rather than understand a perspective. Democracy was never meant to be a zero-sum game. It’s a daily act of faith in one another.”
Mizeur will introduce tools used by the We Are One Alliance, including those she developed during her own campaign in Maryland’s First Congressional District. Attendees will hear about her journey, engage in practice dialogue, and explore techniques for transforming conflict into collaboration.
A key part of the approach includes internal work. “It’s not just about how we talk to others—it’s how we show up to ourselves. One of the most popular resources we offer is a free online course centered on gratitude, which draws on ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz: be impeccable with your word, don’t take things personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best.”
Mizeur emphasizes that the work is nonpartisan. “We’re not promoting an ideology. We’re promoting a way of being. We teach that in the pause between stimulus and response, we have power. Real leadership starts with that pause.”
With space limited to 100 seats, the event has already generated strong interest.
“We aren’t here to prove each other right or wrong,” says Hughes. “We’re here to try something different. And Heather has the tools to guide us.”
The event is free and open to all. To register, go here.
This video is approximately 10 minutes long.
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