Support The 2025 Sidewalk Talk Listening Bus Tour

Speaking & Listening Circle: A Fundraiser for the Sidewalk Talk Bus Tour

When: Sunday, April 6th | 9am–11am PT / 12pm–2pm ET
Where: Online (Zoom link provided upon registration)
Donation: Sliding scale $20–$75 | Free if you’ve already donated to the tour

Come gather in community to slow down, speak from the heart, and listen with compassion.

We’re borrowing a beautiful format shared with us by Dr. Josef Merck of Mehr Demokratie—a simple but powerful way to connect more deeply to ourselves and each other.

Here’s what we’ll do:

🌀 We’ll begin together, warming up and settling into the space.
🌀 We’ll break into small groups of four to explore this central question:

"How do you feel in relation to all the changes this current U.S. administration is making?"

Each person will have four minutes to speak using “I” statements—no cross-talk, no interruptions, no fixing. Just your truth.
--You’ll be invited to speak about your lived experience and how these changes are impacting your life.

👂Listeners will practice a rare gift: deep presence. No responses, just attention and self-reflection. What arises in you as you listen—emotionally, physically, intellectually?

🔁 If we have enough participants, we’ll mix up the groups and go another round—answering the same question again and noticing what new layers emerge.

💗 And if someone begins speaking about others (instead of themselves), we gently invite group members to place a hand on their heart as a reminder: come back to you.

🌀 After our small group circles, we’ll return to the full group and ask:
✨ "What feels different inside you now than before this practice?"

Each person who wants to speak will have 60 seconds to share.

Then, we’ll take a final 60 seconds to reflect together on the original question—this time, letting the group voice emerge.

We’ll close the space with gratitude and no need to agree—only to notice what happened when we slowed down and made room for each other.

🚌 Why Join?

This kind of dialogue can calm frayed nerves.  It is also a fundraiser for the Sidewalk Talk bus tour—a bold and beautiful journey to bring listening, inclusion, and compassion to communities across the U.S.

Donate what you can ($20–$75) tickets to support this tour and be part of something heart-expanding.
If you’ve already donated, thank you—you’re invited to join us for free!

💌 Who’s This For?

Everyone.
All political backgrounds, identities, and beliefs are welcome—as long as you come with a spirit of generosity, humility, and willingness to listen.
This is not about agreeing. It’s about being human together.

🌱 Sign up. Speak your truth. Be heard. Listen. Transform.

Questions? Reach out anytime. We’d love to have you. traci@sidewalk-talk.org