Depolarizing workshop seeks to bridge the divide

News release

Tired of the toxic divides tearing families and communities apart? If so, you could be a part of what some are calling America’s “exhausted majority.” And like so many other Americans, you might be looking for a way out.

To that end, Bridging Divides-El Dorado, a new initiative sponsored by the El Dorado Community Foundation, hosts a free community workshop, “Depolarizing Within,” in partnership with Braver Angels. The event will take place 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 20 at the Cameron Park Community Center in Cameron Park, 2502 Country Club Drive. Refreshments will be served and a box lunch will be available at the event’s conclusion.

This workshop is designed to foster skills that help lessen the effects of polarization when people encounter others whose political perspectives differ from their own. The goal is to help participants:

• Become aware of their own “inner polarizer.”

• Learn how to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large groups of the population.

• Develop strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.

Prior attendees rated the workshop as “very valuable” and shared the following comments after the event:

“I appreciated hearing that others in my community were open to having healthy discussions on a variety of controversial topics.”

“I learned a lot about how our language (my language) can be polarizing.”

For more information and to register for this workshop visit tinyurl. com/Depolarizewithin or contact Kristina Vasquez at kristina@ bridgingdivides-eldorado.org.

Ducks Unlimited hosts dinner

News release

The Placerville Chapter of Ducks Unlimited celebrates its 45th anniversary Wednesday, May 17, with its annual dinner, raffle and silent and live auctions. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Forni Building on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Entry to the event gets you Ducks Unlimited membership for a year, dinner, a hat and a hosted bar. This event has been a sellout for years so make plans to attend early.

Ducks Unlimited International was formed in 1937 and since that time, 15.5 million acres have been conserved for waterfowl and all types of wildlife. Nearly 6 million of those acres are in the United States. In 2021, 2,435 acres were restored or enhanced in California alone. The cumulative total of enhanced and restored wetlands in California totals 719,000 acres. Since DU is a volunteer driven organization, 88% of revenue goes to waterfowl and wetlands conservation and education. This yields a tremendous return for an individual’s hard earned dollars.

For the last 10 years the Placerville Chapter has hosted one of the President’s Top Elite banquets in the n See Dinner, page B6