Across our social and political landscape, disagreement can quickly become division. We can find ourselves retreating into groups of people who think like us, struggling to understand perspectives different from our own, or avoiding difficult conversations altogether.
At St Ethelburga’s, our depolarisation work asks what it takes to do something different: to remain curious across disagreement, understand the values and experiences that shape different perspectives, and develop the skills to stay in relationship even when we do not agree.
Our self-guided online courses offer an accessible introduction to this work. They are designed to help you explore your own perspectives, deepen your understanding of people who see the world differently, and practise practical skills for conversations across difference.
How well do you understand your own political and cultural instincts — and the perspectives of people who see things differently?
Where Do You Sit? is an interactive self-education tool designed to help you explore some of the most polarising issues of our time from contrasting perspectives.
Rather than asking you to choose a political identity or fit neatly into one camp, the course invites you to notice the values, concerns and assumptions that influence how you respond to different issues.
Explore the questions, see where your responses take you, and discover where your views are clear, where they cross traditional divides, and where there might be more complexity than you expected.
Understanding difference is one thing. Talking about it is another.
LEAP IN is St Ethelburga’s practical framework for navigating difficult conversations with greater curiosity, clarity and connection.
The model guides you through six simple practices: Listen, Empathise, Ask, Paraphrase, Input and Name. Together, they help us listen before responding, understand what matters to another person, communicate our own perspective honestly, and identify the values or concerns we may still share.
Through interactive scenarios exploring real-life polarising issues, you can practise the model and see how small changes in the way we communicate can help shift a conversation from argument towards dialogue.
Our facilitated depolarisation training takes this learning further through dialogue, reflection, practical tools and experiential exercises designed to help people bridge divides in their families, workplaces, organisations and communities.