I created Brave Talk Project to help people to grow in the art of conflict transformation.
Most of us are well-versed in disagreement and impasse yet have little training in how to deal with these challenges. Especially within polarized social and political climates, many of our communities are fragmented.
How do we engage each other meaningfully when we disagree so passionately? What does it mean to really see the humanity of our neighbors across real and present differences?
Inspired by a decade-long struggle of the author’s family to stay close despite significant religious and political disagreements, Brave Talk is a toolkit that helps everyday people build relationships that can handle the weight of conflict.
Focusing on concepts of rhetorical ethics, Brave Talk combines rigorous academic sources with storytelling, humor, and illustrations to teach “conflict transformation”: the art of turning away from fear and animosity and toward understanding and cooperation.
Brave Talk the Book
The book was released September 2020, published by Broadleaf Books. It is jam-packed with resources helping people learn the art of conflict transformation and courageous dialogue.
Brave Talk Project the Blog
The Brave Talk Project is an ongoing effort to develop resources on conflict transformation. It will feature articles by Melody Stanford Martin as well as guest voices. To be a contributor, please contact Melody here.
About the Author
Melody Stanford Martin is a social ethicist and communications expert helping people of all ages develop skills of courageous dialogue and conflict transformation. She is the Founder and CEO of Cambridge Creative Group, an organization specializing in nonprofit messaging and outreach, and a founding co-host of Irenicast, a podcast on faith and culture. She is a graduate of the Religion and Conflict Transformation program at Boston University School of Theology. Martin lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, Corey, and their dog, Benedict Cumberbatch.