LEXINGTON, Va., Aug. 28, 2025—Virginia Military Institute’s Civil Discourse Initiative and its local college partners; Washington and Lee University, Southern Virginia University, and Mountain Gateway Community College, invites the greater Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County community to participate in a facilitated conversation on economic and community development Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in VMI’s Marshall Hall. The question being discussed is “How Can We Improve Our Local Economy?” The format, called A Braver Campus Dialogue (ABCD) workshop, has been used successfully around the country. Advanced registration is required.

This event, which is also part of local Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration (VA250) planning, builds upon the notion that a healthy democracy necessitates dialogue, compromise, and trust. “In the past decade, the health of our democracy has been negatively impacted by polarization and self-censorship. Polarization in our society has risen substantially, partly because social media has created an opportunity for people to create virtual echo chambers and has eliminated common forums for discussing our differences. Self-censorship, also partly driven by the lightning speed of information dissemination and the level of instant judgment on social media, has also increased,” said Lt. Col. Kim Connolly, assistant director for programs and conferences at VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics.

Since 2021, VMI has held college-wide and classroom debates using the Braver Angels debate format, a non-competitive, non-performative community conversation. The debates are led by a trained chairperson and follow a light parliamentary style. The rules of the debate ensure that conversations stay constructive and allow for many viewpoints to be heard and examined. ABCD workshops build upon the concept of Braver Angels debates, but in addition to facilitating a conversation through which multiple viewpoints emerge, the workshop focuses on discussing solutions.

For additional information, contact Connolly at connollykv@vmi.edu.

Lt. Col. Kim Connolly
Center for Leadership and Ethics
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTTITUTE