The CEO of America's largest depolarization organization has two children who aren't speaking to each other — one conservative, one progressive. Maury Giles of Braver Angels joins Dr. John Izzo to explain why "don't talk about politics" is the wrong answer in a country built on self-government, why he has never once asked anyone to be nice, and what ten years of bringing Republicans and Democrats into the same room reveals: we share the same values and weight them differently. He lays out "courageous citizenship" — act instead of react, build across difference, own your part — and the practical tools behind it: one-on-one conversations, common-ground workshops, and citizen-led solutions that treat elected officials as "on tap, not on top."

Guest: Maury Giles — CEO of Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BraverAngels), the country's largest volunteer-led effort to help Americans work across political difference. A conservative based in Salt Lake City, he came to the role after a long corporate career in research and strategy and five years as a Braver Angels volunteer — and was nominated for the job by a colleague from the other side of the aisle.

🎙️ Hosted by Dr. John Izzo and Alain Gauthier · produced by Jim Burke

🤝 In collaboration with @BraverAngels

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💬 Have you had a real conversation lately with someone who votes differently than you? What happened? Tell us below.

🔗 Mentions & Resources:

🤝 Braver Angels — sign up for a one-on-one conversation or find your local alliance: https://braverangels.org

▶️ Braver Angels on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BraverAngels

📖 Jonathan Haidt, "The Righteous Mind"

📖 James Madison, The Federalist Papers

🏛️ National Civic League (database of 12,000+ civic-renewal organizations): https://www.nationalcivicleague.org

🎧 Our earlier episode in this series with Beth Noveck on rigidity, contempt, and democratic decline: [LINK]

Connect With Us:

🌐 Website: https://wayforwardpodcast.com

🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/wayforwardpodcast

📧 Email: thewayforwardrc@gmail.com

👉 SUBSCRIBE to The Way Forward for more conversations that matter!

💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments — we want to hear from YOU.

⚠️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Way Forward. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice.

Al Gore called the war with Iran "a colossal mistake... on the level of Hitler invading Russia." Veteran Iran-watcher Barbara Slavin goes further: the worst U.S. mistake in the Middle East in 60 years. Six months into the war, she returns to The Way Forward to untangle who is actually in charge in Tehran now, why the doctrine of "escalate to de-escalate" has closed the Strait of Hormuz and sent oil prices soaring, what Netanyahu promised Trump in the situation room, and what the war has meant for the people of Iran — the protests, the repression, and the economy. Most importantly: is there a way out that's good for Iranians and for the world?

Guest: Barbara Slavin — Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, veteran journalist on U.S.–Iran relations, and author of "Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation."

🎙️ Hosted by Dr. John Izzo and Alain Gauthier · produced by Jim Burke

⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open — "A colossal mistake" 00:57 What we cover today 01:28 Welcome & setting the stage 03:16 What Barbara underestimated six months ago 05:08 Who is really in charge in Iran now? 08:36 The IRGC and "escalate to de-escalate" 11:04 Did Trump think Iran would surrender? 13:34 Factional fights in Tehran: fiction or reality? 16:51 The nuclear file — leverage, not distraction 19:31 The unfortunate lesson about nuclear weapons 21:47 What the war means for the people of Iran 26:20 A path to real change? The 1953 Mosaddegh overthrow — and the great what-if 30:40 A quick word from us — subscribe & support the show 31:41 The limits of power: Russia, China, and Taiwan 35:27 NATO and the damage to America's alliances 39:13 The Al Gore story — "worst mistake in 60 years" 42:35 Can Europe or China broker a way out? 44:04 What a good deal would actually look like 45:33 Energy, climate, and the way off fossil fuels 48:12 Will Iran's proxy strategy ever change? 53:37 What gives Barbara hope 56:42 Closing reflections 58:14 Outro

👉 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@thewayforwardrc?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Prefer audio? Listen & follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way-forward-regenerative-conversations/id1651941803 💬 Do you see a way out of this war that's good for the people of Iran AND the world? Tell us below.

🔗 Mentions & Resources: 📖 Barbara's book: "Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation" 📰 Barbara's Middle East Perspectives commentaries at the Stimson Center: https://www.stimson.org/ 🤝 Support the Stimson Center: https://www.stimson.org/support/

Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: https://wayforwardpodcast.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/wayforwardpodcast 📧 Email: thewayforwardrc@gmail.com

👉 SUBSCRIBE to The Way Forward for more conversations that matter! 💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments — we want to hear from YOU.

⚠️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Way Forward. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice.

#BarbaraSlavin #Iran #IranWar #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #StraitOfHormuz #ForeignPolicy #TheWayForward

What if the most important conversations we can have — about politics, faith, and family — are the ones we've stopped having out of fear?

Journalist and bridge-builder Mónica Guzmán joins hosts Dr. John Izzo and Dr. Polina Orlowski to explore why families, communities, and entire generations have stopped talking across political divides — and what it will take to rebuild understanding. Drawing from her book "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times," Mónica shares the personal story behind her work (a tender moment with her father on Election Day), the neuroscience of why hard conversations feel like physical threats ("our fear of social death is greater than our fear of physical death"), and the practical discipline of curiosity that anyone can develop.

Also in this episode: the role of social media and AI in deepening polarization, how to model brave conversations for children, the "productive conversation" model that distinguishes inquiry from debate, and the Trustworthy Elections Project — where regular citizens from across the political spectrum found 727 points of agreement on a single contested issue.

ABOUT OUR GUEST Mónica Guzmán is founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity, Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, and host of the podcast A Braver Way. Website: https://moniguzman.com Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/I-Never-Thought-of-It-That-Way/Monica-Guzman/9781637746028 Braver Angels: https://braverangels.org

YOUR HOSTS Dr. John Izzo — bestselling author and pioneer in regenerative leadership. https://drjohnizzo.com Dr. Polina Orlowski, DNP, RN, CNL, CPHQ — Director of Quality & Patient Safety at Ascension.

CONNECT Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thewayforwardpodcast Website: https://wayforwardpodcast.com Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewayforwardrc Email: thewayforwardrc@gmail.com

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