Nisha Anand and the Power of Choosing Common Ground

Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Social Justice and How We Get Free

Nisha Anand

Around the world the divisions that define our societies are becoming deeper and more hardened. In this inspiring conversation Dream Corps CEO Nisha Anand and I talk about the power of finding common ground.

If we truly want to make the difference that we say we want to make we have to be willing to work with people who may have radically different points of view to ours but who, miraculously, share common ground with us on maybe only one thing.

Nisha gives us a map to coming together in service of a mutually important goal, beyond the politics and divisions that keep us in our silos of left, right, conservative, or progressive.

This conversation made me think differently about what's possible to achieve with unlikely collaborators.

Have a listen and then take her model out into your own work and expand your power to make change.

For a written transcript of this conversation go here.

About Nisha:

Nisha Anand is a boundary-buster, common ground creator, non-violent culture-creator, outside-the-box experimenter, and national leader for social and racial justice. Once a grassroots activist arrested in Burma for pro-democracy demonstrations, Nisha is known today as a leader in cultivating unlikely and unconventional partnerships to create change. As Dream Corps’ CEO, Nisha guides a team of storytellers, organizers, and policy experts working on some of society’s toughest problems to create a better future for all.

3 Action Steps:
1) Listen deeply and with curiosity, not trying to change anyone's mind. Listen to understand.
2) Grieve with others. We've all lost something these past 2 years, grieve with others.
3) Dream big, the world can change overnight, so dream big.
Bonus action
4) Get involved with Dream Corps

Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground Tedx talk

Connect with Nisha:

Website: https://www.nishaanand.org/
Twitter: @nishamanand
Instagram: @nishamanand
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nisha-m-anand/
YouTube: Nisha Anand Playlist

Credits:
Harmonica music courtesy of a friend