() The new leader of a grassroots organization that has worked for almost a decade to break down barriers between Americans who don’t see eye-to-eye politically says the group’s mission has become even more critical after last week’s fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

With more than 15,000 members and 100 local alliances nationwide, Braver Angels has remained committed to reducing political polarization. The not-for-profit organization hosts debates, workshops, one-on-one conversations and other events that encourage attendees to leave their political labels at the door and move closer to finding common ground with those with whom they may not agree.

Braver Angels CEO Maury Giles started on the job less than two months ago. But after Kirk was shot and killed at the kickoff of his national college tour at Utah Valley University, Giles, a Utah resident, finds himself agreeing with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s assessment that the United States has reached a critical fork in the road.

“The problem with political violence is it metastasizes,” Cox said. “Because we can always point the finger at the other side, and at some point, we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”

Braver Angels events are meant to end the finger-pointing. The annual convention, at which Cox spoke in 2023, attracts around 800 people with the red-blue balance split exactly down the middle.

The group’s latest event after Kirk’s death drew more than 3,000 attendees Sunday as people are looking for a way to change the conversation surrounding the current national landscape.

While Giles, who spent 30 years working in the corporate world, says he has sensed the nation’s political temperature rising since the Clinton administration. He said Kirk’s death signifies a definite turning point and an opportunity for change at a time when a recent poll shows 9 in 10 Americans see political violence as being problematic.

“This is basically the moment that everything we’re doing is meant to address,” Giles told . “We can’t control or predict what’s going to set off the next thing, but this is about the acceleration of uncivil discourse into political violence, while at the same time, (seeing) complete unproductive conflict to where we’re not making progress as a nation.”

Braver Angels works to build personal accountability in unique settings

Before being named CEO, Giles spent five years volunteering at Braver Angels events. He saw firsthand that too many times, attendees representing both conservative and liberal views felt that being civil wasn’t a viable option because they felt their existence was being threatened by those representing an opposing perspective.

“To people, this is a culture war,” Giles said. “They feel like, ‘I can’t be nice – I have to go wield that sword and fight.'”

But Giles insists that the message coming from Braver Angels isn’t about forcing attendees to be nice. Instead, he said it’s about considering the possibility that others with opposing views don’t represent evil, as has become a common narrative being pushed on social media and by those representing extremist organizations looking to profit from conflict.

If more Americans would consider how others’ own life experiences may have shaped their view of the world, rather than just making assumptions based on their political leanings, the conversation begins to change, Giles said.

“Now, all of a sudden, it’s not about ideas,” Giles said. “It’s an understanding of individuals with curiosity.”

More times than not, Giles said that people representing opposing viewpoints who initially walked into the same room expecting the worst learn they actually have more in common than they expected. But Giles said that for people to learn that lesson, they need to see it for themselves.

Leaning into his business background, Giles said that heavy debate is often needed to lead to meaningful change. However, if the debate grows to unproductive levels, businesses can fall apart. He fears the U.S. could face a similar fate if civil discourse cannot be viewed as a viable tool.

“What we’re actually saying is that if you want the change that you’re about … and benefit from all that’s good with this country, then you have to start with yourself and say, ‘I can control how I feel,'” Giles said.

How the Braver Angels strategy aligns with ‘the Utah Way’

In 2020, Cox appeared in a television ad entitled “One Nation” with his gubernatorial opponent, Chris Peterson, eschewing the values of bipartisanship rather than tearing down the other side as has become the cultural norm. In Utah, politicians often describe their ability to work with those on the other side of the aisle to find common ground as “the Utah Way.”

While Cox pushes for more unity in the wake of Kirk’s death, Giles feels that if Americans can’t learn to look at each other with civility, the death of a right-leaning activist who actively sought out the opinion of those who disagreed with him may serve as a “pounderkeg” on the verge of exploding.

Giles insists that because of the influence of social media platforms designed to fall along ideological boundaries have become so prevalent, many choose to remain loyal to those voices rather than striving for the betterment of the country.

Like Cox, Giles feels that Kirk’s death can somehow help turn the tide if Americans are willing to look differently at their fellow citizens.

Braver Angels is 1 of 7 organizations that came together to provide learning resources and tools and host events, including a debate on Sept. 24 at Utah State University that was already planned before Kirk’s death, delving into debates held on college campuses.

The events, along with those being held solely by Braver Angels, are designed to break down fences and push people to look inward and decide if they are willing to change.

“But that takes courage,” Giles told . “This is about going against the cultural norm, and people right now feel it’s just about loyalty to the tribe. But that’s destructive to the very existence of a democratic republic.

“We have to be able to engage … and I believe the vast majority of Americans actually understand that. They just don’t know where to begin to move forward.”