Make Love, Not War

In a time of growing division, this course offers an alternative: learning to engage with those you disagree with through empathy and nonviolent communication. Students will practice moving beyond rigid, polarized dynamics to discover inclusive, collaborative approaches to conflict.

In this course, you will:

• Explore how underlying human needs—such as safety, dignity, and equality—motivate conflict.

• Develop emotional and somatic intelligence alongside intellectual skills.

• Practice tools like mindful presence, active listening, and empathic reflection to reduce polarization.

• Learn how to transform disagreement into dialogue, collaboration, and peacebuilding.

Students will leave with communication skills that can be applied to activism, leadership, community engagement, and personal relationships—skills crucial for building bridges in an age of political polarization.

Political polarization often leads to antagonism and gridlock—but there is another way. This course introduces students to nonviolent communication strategies designed to help people speak honestly, respectfully, and peacefully across differences.

Through in-class exercises, experiential community activities, reflective writing, and a final portfolio project, students will:

• Apply communication tools that foster empathy and connection.

• Learn to depolarize interactions by recognizing shared human values.

• Build capacity for inclusive dialogue that honors dignity and cultivates openness.

Although valuable for any discipline, this course is especially beneficial for students interested in politics, social change, conflict resolution, or community activism. Differences in perspective among classmates are welcomed and treated as opportunities to practice real-world communication across divides.

This course pairs with Depolarizing Politics/Depolarizing Communities, which examines polarization at the macro level (political parties, media, institutions). While that course studies external sources of division, Make Love, Not War focuses on internal polarization, personal thought processes, and micro-level communication. Together, they provide a holistic understanding of how to move from conflict toward connection.