Boulder community invited to ‘Power of Peacemaking’ event – Boulder …

To counter the conflict that stems from polarizing issues, Boulder-area nonprofits are banding together to help people find common ground at “The Power of Peacemaking.”

The free event Monday evening will include a documentary film screening and community discussion held at the Boulder Jewish Community Center, 6007 Oreg Ave. The Boulder JCC is hosting the event along with race and gender equity nonprofit YWCA Boulder County.

The featured documentary, “The Abortion Talks,” captures the aftermath of the shooting of two abortion clinic workers. Despite having differing views on abortion, the women in the documentary work to develop a mutual understanding across ideological lines.

“The power of these women coming together…I think that was kind of why we felt pretty passionate about it from a YWCA perspective,” said Debbie Pope, CEO of YWCA Boulder County. “You really see a journey that they go through all together.”

While the documentary centers around abortion, it emphasizes the process that the women went through to arrive at a goal of peace. Pope said viewers can substitute any number of divisive topics into the narrative and still preserve the film’s message of prioritizing dialogue over debate.

“It does feel like there’s a lot of issues, even just around humanity, that have been politicized,” Pope said. “And I think it’s sort of taken away an opportunity to bring people together to actually realize that there’s a lot more that connects us than divides us.”

Following the screening, viewers can join a discussion with “The Abortion Talks” filmmaker Sarah Perkins, who is flying in for the event. Attendees will also receive information about workshops and other resources they can use to keep learning about community-based solutions for peace.

“We have people, we have tools, we have spaces, we have everything we need to be able to have conversations with depth across issues,” said Pedro Silva, director of engagement with YOUnify.

YOUnify, another nonprofit partner of the event, focuses on reducing polarization by bridging cultural divides. Silva, a former pastor in Boulder, said he reached out to Pope about hosting a screening of the film in part to highlight female voices in peacemaking discussions.

“I’ve watched the film more than half a dozen times, and it just kept hitting me profoundly,” Silva said. “I just kind of hadn’t seen a visual representation of the work it takes to build bridges across differences like what these women did.”

YWCA Boulder County has held similar film screening events in the past, including one done in partnership with the NAACP. For Pope, media can be used to show individuals how they can bring about lasting change in their communities.

“The movie itself can help us all share something and have a common place to start from,” Pope said. “But if nothing happens after that, then you miss an opportunity for people to make a commitment to take action.”

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. prior to the screening at 6:15 p.m. Since seating is limited, participants are asked to register in advance at boulderjcc.org/power.