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SOLUTIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

Citizen Solutions is a civic experiment created by Starts With Us that gives
Americans across the ideological spectrum the power to co-create solutions to
divisive issues. 

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CLICK A STATE BELOW TO SEE PROPOSALS CREATED BY AND FOR CITIZENS

We piloted Citizen Solutions in Tennessee and Wisconsin. More states coming
soon.

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Zoom level changed to 1



WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

We want to hear your ideas on where to host solution sessions and what issues to
tackle.

Let Us Know!


THE CITIZEN SOLUTIONS PROCESS REVEALS WHAT’S POSSIBLE WHEN WE PRIORITIZE PROBLEM
SOLVING OVER PARTISANSHIP AND SOLUTIONS OVER STALEMATES.


1. CHOOSE ISSUE & LOCATION

Starts With Us believes no problem is unsolvable. When selecting an issue and
state, we consider existing consensus, local circumstances that create a unique
environment for this process to unfold, and ideas from our community and
partners.


2. ENGAGE EXPERTS TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE

 

We engage an ideologically-diverse group of subject matter experts to discuss an
issue’s history, current laws, and consensus opportunities. The experts’
groundwork informs discussions at the solution session.


3. SELECT CITIZEN SOLVERS

 

Through in-depth conversations and vetting, we invite roughly a dozen
individuals with different viewpoints to attend a solution session. The group is
assembled to ensure every citizen in a state can see parts of themselves
represented. Participants must have some knowledge about the issue, including
technical or lived experience, but do not need to be experts.


4. CONVENE CITIZENS & CREATE SOLUTION PROPOSALS

 

Starts With Us and Convergence Center for Policy Resolution host a three-day
solution session. Guided by a facilitator, participants share personal
experiences, explore shared values, and discuss culture and legislative changes.
Drawing on the experts’ insights, they draft solution proposals that consider a
range of views.


5. INVITE PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND CREATIVITY

 

Proposals are shared through an interactive website. The public is invited to
voice support for or against each proposal and provide written feedback on how
to strengthen the solutions.


6. REVEAL SOLUTION PROPOSALS AND MAKE CHANGE

 

Participants unveil the proposals that received majority support from the
public. They mobilize behind them, calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that
aligns with the will of the people. The proposals, and the process that yielded
them, become tools for a broader movement of solutions-oriented Americans.


TESTIMONIALS

> “For three days we dived past stereotypes and political catchphrases and
> talked about real people in real life. We talked about solutions. I'd be lying
> if I said we agreed on everything. I'd also be lying if I said we walked away
> unchanged.”

Arriell Gipson Martin

Tennessee solution session participant

> “I deal with my problems in the mountains and others deal with theirs in the
> city, and they look awfully familiar. This process has broadened my
> perspective. We've got to find a way to solve problems together.”

Jay Zimmerman

Tennessee solution session participant

> "This process reminded me how important it is to be in community with people
> who think differently."

Ali Muldrow

Wisconsin solution session participant

> “If you put diverse people in a room, they can come up with common sense
> solutions. The experimental structure of this process is what’s most
> interesting. I look forward to seeing what it looks like on a national scale.”

Dan Semenza

Director at New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers

 


POLL: COMMON GROUND REVEALED

Starts With Us and NORC partnered to answer an important question: do Americans
across the political spectrum share values? The results are clear - about 9 in
10 Republicans and Democrats strongly agree on the importance of six fundamental
values. While there is consensus on values, we are skeptical the “other side”
shares them. 


The poll also found that 8 in 10 people across partisan lines believe it is very
or extremely important for citizens to be involved in finding solutions to
problems facing our country. This presents an opportunity, and Starts With Us is
taking action. We launched Citizen Solutions with Convergence Center for Policy
Resolution, and now we need your help. Read our press release with the poll
results here.





POLL METHODOLOGY

Report and Methodology


PRESS RELEASE: WISCONSIN CITIZENS ARE INVITED TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD ON
ABORTION AND FAMILY WELL-BEING


WISCONSIN CITIZENS ARE INVITED TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD ON ABORTION AND FAMILY
WELL-BEING

Citizen Solutions initiative encourages people statewide to weigh in on policy
proposals co-created by 14 Wisconsinites with widely different views on abortion

April 24, 2024 — Today, Citizen Solutions, a national civic experiment that
gives citizens the power to co-create solutions to divisive issues, comes to
Wisconsin. Through May 31, people statewide are invited to visit
www.citizensolutions.us/wi and weigh in on five consensus-based proposals that
address some of the root causes of abortion and support women, children, and
families.

The call to participate provides citizens with a way to take action following a
state legislative session where many priorities, including an extension of
postpartum Medicaid coverage and a 12-week paid family leave program, went
largely unaddressed. The citizen-authored proposals are being unveiled as
leaders keep close watch on a decision from the Wisconsin Supreme Court
regarding the legality of a 19th century law prohibiting abortions and as
citizen-led efforts to codify abortion gain momentum nationwide.

Fourteen Wisconsinites (the “WI14”) from across the state, including Milwaukee,
Rock, Chippewa, Door, Brown, Grant, and Dane counties, and who have a wide range
of experiences with and views on abortion, set out to demonstrate just how
problematic the overly binary, simplistic conversation on abortion has become.
They created the following proposals as a way of proving that common ground
solutions are possible when we collaborate across lines of difference:

 * Require “human development” education that is comprehensive, medically
   accurate, and developmentally appropriate
 * Require pro-life pregnancy resource centers, abortion providers, and all
   other prenatal care providers to provide standardized, medically accurate
   “all options” information to those accessing their services
 * Extend public health insurance (Medicaid) postpartum coverage from 60 days to
   12 months
 * Provide a fully refundable state child tax credit
 * Enactpaid family leave, including for foster and adoptive parents

The proposals aim to empower and support those making decisions about their
reproductive health and family planning. A vision statement crafted by the
unlikely allies reads, in part, “We agree that the circumstances surrounding
abortion are rarely simple. As a society, we should strive to minimize the
number of unwanted pregnancies while treating those who find themselves with an
unwanted pregnancy with compassion and support regardless of the choice they
make.”

The WI14 created the proposals at a three-day “solution session” facilitated by
Convergence Center for Policy Resolution. Together, they explored common values,
built a shared understanding of the complexity of the issue, and broke down
stereotypes to develop solutions that integrate many views. Once they receive
public feedback, the WI14 will mobilize to ensure lawmakers know where the
public stands and to encourage them to prioritize problem-solving over
partisanship for the good of Wisconsin’s families.

Of her experiences at the session, participant Kai Gardner Mishlove, Executive
Director of Jewish Social Services, said, “We don’t know each other’s battles,
histories, or experiences, and we don’t often get to walk in other people’s
shoes. Our goal was to come together on shared experiences and figure out a way
to work together for the common good.”

Participant Jeff Davis, a pro-life advocate, said, “While my beliefs on the
sanctity and protection of all human life have not changed, my experience with
attendees who think much differently than I do has increased my compassion for
what mothers go through and helped me realize that this issue has a lot of
complexities.”

Wisconsin is the second state to participate in Citizen Solutions, which was
piloted in Tennessee on the issue of gun rights and safety. During that public
feedback period, more than 30,000 Tennesseans weighed in on eight proposals, and
five majority-supported proposals were ultimately brought to the state
legislature.

“Americans want policy solutions over political stalemates,” said Ashley
Phillips, Head of Programs at Starts With Us Builders. “As the national
conversation around abortion continues, we encourage Wisconsinites to weigh in
on these proposals created by citizens who, despite the polarization that
surrounds them, had the courage to think outside of the binary box usually
associated with this issue.”

Citizen Solutions was launched in response to a national poll that found 82% of
Republicans and 80% of Democrats think it’s important for citizens to be
involved in finding solutions to the country’s problems. Both sides, however,
are skeptical that political leaders share this desire, with only 29% of
Republicans and 27% of Democrats saying that addressing the needs of
constituents is important to elected officials.

To learn more about Citizen Solutions go to www.citizensolutions.us and to show
support for or against the proposals, visit www.citizensolutions.us/wi.

About Citizen Solutions

Citizen Solutions is a project of Starts With Us Builders, a national,
nonpartisan movement equipping Americans to overcome toxic polarization and
extremist thinking to solve our toughest problems. Starts With Us Builders does
this by illuminating the causes and effects of toxic polarization, demonstrating
the power of citizens working together across lines of difference, and
activating Americans from all walks of life with the skills to become more
effective problem solvers. In addition to more than three million followers,
Starts With Us Builders is supported bymore than 250 ideologically diverse
leaders across sectors from business, entertainment, academia, faith, sports,
journalism, technology, and national defense. It is a project of Builders
Network, Inc.

About Convergence Center for Policy Resolution

Convergence is the leading organization bridging divides to solve critical
issues through collaborative problem-solving across ideological, political, and
cultural divisions. For a decade and a half, Convergence has brought together
leaders, doers, and experts to build trusting relationships, identify
breakthrough solutions, and form unlikely alliances for constructive
consensus-based change on seemingly intractable issues. Convergence’s process is
improving the lives of Americans and strengthening democracy for a more
resilient and collaborative future. Learn more at www.ConvergencePolicy.org


PRESS RELEASE: TENNESSEANS PUSH STATE LEGISLATURE TO ADDRESS GUN RIGHTS AND
SAFETY AND OTHER PRIORITY ISSUES BY ESTABLISHING BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE 


TENNESSEANS PUSH STATE LEGISLATURE TO ADDRESS GUN RIGHTS AND SAFETY AND OTHER
PRIORITY ISSUES BY ESTABLISHING BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Citizens equipped with their own consensus-based solution proposals take
democracy into their own hands at the Capitol following a months-long process

NASHVILLE — This morning, as the 2024 Tennessee legislative session commences, a
group of ideologically diverse citizens (the “TN11”) gathered at the State
Capitol to unveil five citizen-authored
proposals on gun rights and safety and urge lawmakers to create a bipartisan
Solutions Committee. They’re asking for this Committee to explore existing
consensus amongst Tennesseans on priority issues, including gun rights and
safety, which has long been divisive across the state and the nation.

All 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, as well as Gov. Bill Lee and
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, were invited to the unveiling, which took place in the
Legislative Lounge, across from the Senate Chamber and just beyond the House
Floor. A bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic legislators were in
attendance, including Reps. Scott Cepicky (R-64) G.A. Hardaway (D-93), Torrey
Harris (D-91), Dave Wright (R-19) and Bo Mitchell (D-50) as well as Sens.
Charlane Oliver (D-19), London Lamar (D-33), Heidi Campbell (D-20), and Art
Swann (R-2). Staff members for Sens. Raumesh Akbari (D-29), Sara Kyle (D-30),
and London Lamar (D-33) were also present.

The TN11 presented five solutions proposals:

• Allow courts to temporarily remove someone’s firearms if they are deemed to be
a danger to themselves or others based on certain criteria showing they are at
risk of committing violence

• Develop and promote tools for responsible gun ownership and offer training on
how to use
these tools

• Broaden the School Resource Officer (SRO) role beyond standard law enforcement
to include human services practices, such as mental health first aid,
trauma-informed care, and principles
of child development

• Reduce Adverse Community Environments and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
and adult trauma that leads to gun violence by investing in youth and community
development

• Develop gun issue literacy resources for schools, communities, and the media.

The proposals, which can be viewed in full here, were created this August at a
three-day “solution session” hosted by Starts With Us and Convergence Center for
Policy Resolution. They were subsequently shared online, and 30,267 Tennesseans
representing all 95 counties weighed in on them. During the five-week public
feedback period, the aforementioned proposals received majority support, meaning
more than 50% of respondents agreed with them.

“We are told that solutions are not possible — that we are too divided, too
polarized, maybe even too dangerous to be trusted to hold space for one another.
The real danger is that not only do American citizens have the capacity to find
common ground, but we are great at it,” says Adam Luke, a member of the TN11 and
a licensed family and marriage therapist from Columbia, Tennessee. “We are
calling on legislators to lean into this strength by creating a bipartisan
Solutions Committee that would put forth
proposals representing existing common ground amongst Tennesseans.”

The TN11 is comprised of 11 citizens who live across the state and have
different lived experiences and stances on gun policy. The solution session they
participated in was part of a Starts With Us civic experiment called Citizen
Solutions, which empowers Americans to tackle divisive issues.

“Through my involvement in Citizen Solutions, I’ve witnessed the transformative
power of conversation — the ability for individuals to lower their guard, listen
for understanding, and speak to be understood,” says Jaila Hampton, a member of
the TN11 and a college student from Memphis. “Today, we implore lawmakers to not
only consider the proposed solutions but also to embody the spirit of
constructive dialogue as they commence their own legislative session.”

“Through Citizen Solutions, we set out to bring solutions back to the center of
our political discourse and our lives,” says Ashley Phillips, Head of Programs
at Starts With Us. “Tennessee was the first state in the nation to participate,
and its citizens were up to the challenge. Now, it’s time for lawmakers to
follow their lead.”

Photos and soundbites from the event are available for the media here.

To learn more about Starts WIth Us visit www.startswith.us. Media inquiries:
please contact media@startswith.us.

About Starts With Us

Starts With Us is a nonpartisan civic movement equipping Americans to overcome
toxic polarization and effectively solve our country’s toughest problems. In
addition to more than 3 million followers committed to engaging constructively
across lines of difference, Starts With Us’ mission is supported by 240+
ideologically diverse leaders in business, entertainment, journalism, faith,
sports, academia, and national defense. Starts With Us is a project of the
Lubetzky Family Foundation. To join the movement,
visit www.startswith.us.


PRESS RELEASE: TENNESSEANS TAKE BACK THE AGENDA ON GUNS IN NEW CITIZEN-POWERED
INITIATIVE TO TACKLE DIVISIVE PROBLEMS


TENNESSEANS TAKE BACK THE AGENDA ON GUNS IN NEW CITIZEN-POWERED INITIATIVE TO
TACKLE DIVISIVE PROBLEMS

Innovative Civic Engagement Platform by Starts With Us Launches Online for State
Residents to Make Their Voices Heard on Eight Gun Rights & Safety Proposals

TENNESSEE, October 30, 2023 — Today, Tennessee becomes the first state in the
nation to participate in a civic experiment empowering citizens of all parties
and perspectives to tackle divisive issues together. Now through late November,
Tennesseans can weigh in on eight proposals addressing gun rights and safety via
an interactive online platform. An ideologically-diverse group of 11 citizens
(the “TN11”) from counties including Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, and
Carter authored the consensus-based proposals with input from subject matter
experts. Their collaboration comes as part of Citizen Solutions, an innovative
problem-solving process created by Starts With Us, a nonpartisan organization
building a movement to overcome toxic polarization in America. 

In August, the TN11 — which includes a pastor, a firearms instructor, a high
school teacher, a therapist, a former Highway Patrol Captain, and a public
safety official — gathered in Franklin for a three-day solution session hosted
by Starts With Us and Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, the leading
organization bridging divides to solve critical issues. The process guided
attendees to discover common values and debunk stereotypes on the path to
creating a set of solution proposals to advance both gun rights and safety. The
proposals they drafted include: 

 * Allow courts to temporarily remove someone’s firearms if they are deemed to
   be a danger to themselves or others based on certain criteria showing they
   are at risk of committing violence
 * Broaden the School Resource Officer (SRO) role beyond standard law
   enforcement to include human services practices such as mental health first
   aid, trauma-informed care, and principles of child development
 * Take an incentives-first approach to gun ownership rights and
   responsibilities 
 * Develop and promote tools for responsible gun ownership and offer trainings
   on how to use these tools  
 * Ease the path to — and expand opportunities for — restoration of gun
   ownership rights for certain people formerly convicted of felonies 
 * Reduce Adverse Community Environments and Adverse Childhood Experiences
   (ACEs) and adult trauma that leads to gun violence by investing in youth and
   community development
 * Develop gun issue literacy resources for schools, communities, and the media
 * Require a handgun carry permit to possess a loaded handgun in public (note:
   the TN11 reached majority but not unanimous consensus on this proposal and
   now asks the public for feedback) 

The current public feedback period, powered by the newly-launched digital
platform, will help ensure the final proposals incorporate a wide range of
perspectives and concerns and serve as a representation of Tennesseans’
viewpoints.  

The participants, who were initially skeptical of their ability to reach
consensus, felt a renewed optimism and hope for Americans’ ability to
cooperatively solve problems after their time together. Arriell Gipson Martin, a
Memphis community advocate, was struck by the importance of listening to others’
experiences before making assumptions about what they believe. “For three days,
we dived past stereotypes and political catchphrases and talked about real
people in real life. We talked about solutions. I’d be lying if I said we agreed
on everything. I’d also be lying if I said we walked away unchanged,” she said.

Jay Zimmerman, a veteran from Elizabethton who works in mental health and
suicide prevention, echoed this sentiment, saying, “I deal with my problems in
the mountains, and others deal with theirs in the city, and they look awfully
familiar. This process has broadened my perspective. We are all in this
together, and we’ve got to find a way to solve problems together as
Tennesseans.”

Following the solution session, eight subject matter experts on gun violence
prevention, the Second Amendment, and firearm policy reviewed the proposals and
offered suggestions on feasibility and implementation. These experts, along with
the session participants, will review the public’s feedback and incorporate it
where applicable; once final, the proposals will be publicized. Citizens will be
empowered to use the proposals, and the example set by the TN11, to press
politicians and the media to stop pushing divisive narratives and capitalizing
on wedge issues and start being accountable to the will of the people.

Citizen Solutions is a response to the emerging tide of citizens exhausted by
political division and ready to roll up their sleeves and solve problems. A
Starts With Us poll found that 8 in 10 people across partisan lines believe it
is very or extremely important for citizens to be involved in finding solutions
to problems facing our country. Meanwhile, the public’s trust in politicians
continues to wane, with only 32% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats saying that
solving problems is extremely or very important to elected officials.  

“In three days, eleven Tennesseans courageously did the hard work of democracy
while, just a few miles away, their elected leaders remained gridlocked on some
of the same issues,” says Ashley Phillips, Head of Programs at Starts With Us.
“We’re grateful to have piloted this participatory process in Tennessee and now,
with insights from everyone who made it happen, will expand Citizen Solutions to
give citizens nationwide a reason to believe that solutions are possible.”  

“The TN11 developed the kind of wise and durable solutions that only come from
incorporating the concerns and needs of citizens who see the world very
differently from each other. We are grateful to the TN11 for demonstrating that
working together works,” says Mariah Levison, Interim CEO of Convergence and a
seasoned consensus builder. “In doing so, they are inspiring and equipping their
fellow citizens to follow in their footsteps.”  

To learn more about the process and weigh in on the solution proposals, go here.

Media inquiries: please contact media@startswith.us.


OPEN LETTER: HERE'S SOME ADVICE FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN ON HOW TO PROTECT LIVES AND
THE SECOND AMENDMENT

 

Open Letter from Solution Session Participants in Tennessee


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