The dilemma of these times is that our nation and the world overall have so many urgent things to talk about, but are in such a polarized state that we no longer know how to do that.
This is a terrifying spectre. Consider the impact of such polarization through virtually any lens important to the functioning of a healthy democracy, and it’s quickly clear that everybody loses under such a scenario. History is laden with examples of how that story ends for a country and its citizens.
Businesses small and large, government, social health, the environment, our communities and personal lives — all will be negatively affected if we can’t find a way around this communication impasse. The daily flood of information and misinformation that exposes our deepening disagreements on everything from Roe vs. Wade and climate change to Johnny Depp’s libel case underlines the urgency of getting past the chasms that divide us to find ways to connect around common cause.
The University of Victoria’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business was thinking along these lines five years ago when we launched an international forum as part of Canada’s 150th birthday year to talk about equity and diversity.
As UVic gets ready for a third forum at the end of August — co-hosted with the Senate of Canada and convening thought leaders from all corners of the world — it’s astonishing to contemplate just how much more polarized and troubled the world has become in the years since that first event.
There are all kinds of reasons for why human beings seek out voices that reinforce what they already believe. It’s a comfort to feel like you’re right, and to be with people who share your views. The algorithms of social media have certainly contributed to pushing us into our corners, but we were happy to be pushed.
Unfortunately, the big problems of this world can’t be solved without us figuring out how to talk with people we disagree with. Uncomfortable things need to be said — and heard, not just shouted down. Each of us needs to step out of our corners and be open to hearing different perspectives. We need to rebuild the trust that is crucial for well-functioning societies.
The world’s citizens may have diametrically opposed viewpoints on many issues, but that’s not to say we can’t solve our shared problems together.
In years past, businesses have been reluctant to fully engage in such dialogue. There’s a tendency to view business as a purely economic entity operating outside of the broader societal conversation.
If that were ever the case, it certainly isn’t now. Customers, employees and investors want businesses driven by values, not just profit. They want businesses that show up in their communities.
An international conversation on globalization is overdue. Globalization took hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, a tremendous thing. But the costs of environmental degradation and economic inequality can’t be overlooked. In a sense, globalization created the seeds of its own destruction.
So yes, business is very much needed in the big conversations to start bridging the divides between us.
In truth, most of us wish for the same happy ending, wherever we stand on a particular issue. We are all worried about the world changing in a negative way. We all hold hope for our families, our communities, our planet.
How we vote, whether we love oil or hate it, how we feel about Roe vs. Wade, whether we’re vaccinated against COVID, whether we honked at the “freedom” convoys or flipped them the bird — those are among the issues that divide us. But there is so much more to talk about in areas that unite us.
When the dialogues get underway at the Victoria Forum this summer, we’ll look at issues such as social exclusion during the pandemic; the shift from an extractive to a regenerative world; truth and reconciliation; the power of sport to bridge divides; the pathways of change. May every voice with something to say weigh in.
We need to move off our hard positions and learn from what’s working. These are times for pragmatic thinking and evidence-based solutions.
We must stay open to listening even when we don’t like what we hear, and together find our way forward.
