Our Mission and Vision – Crossing Party Lines

Our Mission

Mission Statement: Equipping individuals to unlock curiosity about differing viewpoints through conversation and community building. Crossing Party Lines (CPL) works to make curiosity, listening, and respectful engagement practical skills — not abstract ideals — and to embed those skills in community life.

Our Vision

Vision Statement: Communities where social connections and differing viewpoints flourish and are recognized as essential for healthy relationships. Our vision is of communities where disagreement does not undermine belonging — and where people recognize that engaging across differences strengthens, rather than threatens, social trust.

Why This Work Matters

Across the United States, political and social differences increasingly disrupt relationships, workplaces, and communities. Disagreement is often experienced as threat, leading to withdrawal, mistrust, and isolation.

CPL exists to address this challenge at the human level — where people actually live, work, and interact. Rather than focusing on persuasion or policy outcomes, CPL focuses on how people relate to one another across difference, recognizing that healthier relationships are foundational to a healthy civic culture.

Our Approach

CPL brings its mission to life through structured conversation, community-based programming, and leadership development. Our work is grounded in the belief that social cohesion is built through repeated, supported experiences of respectful engagement.

Structured Conversations

CPL designs and hosts facilitated conversations that allow participants with differing viewpoints to:

Speak honestly without fear of attack or dismissal
Listen with curiosity rather than defensiveness
Engage disagreement without pressure to agree

These conversations are intentionally structured and moderated to reduce threat and support understanding.

Community Building Beyond Conversation

CPL chapters do more than host discussions. They create opportunities for people to connect as neighbors and collaborators through:

Social gatherings such as game nights and movie nights
Civic and community-based projects
Partnerships with local libraries, schools, and civic organizations

These activities reinforce relationships and trust beyond individual conversations.

Training and Skills Development

CPL equips individuals with the skills and support needed to sustain this work locally.

This includes:

Science-informed moderator training
Ongoing coaching and peer support
Chapter leadership development
Resources and tools for community engagement

By investing in people, CPL ensures that conversations and community-building efforts are both high-quality and sustainable.

A Values-Based, Nonpartisan Approach

CPL is nonpartisan and does not advocate for specific political positions. Our work centers on values that support healthy relationships, including:

Curiosity
Respect
Accountability
Inclusion
Care for community

These values guide how CPL designs programs, trains leaders, and partners with communities.

Our Theory of Change

When individuals are equipped to engage across differences in structured, supported ways, communities become more resilient.

Rather than attempting to change what people believe, CPL focuses on changing how people engage — creating conditions where disagreement does not erode connection.

This work:

Reduces social isolation and mistrust
Strengthens local relationships
Normalizes respectful disagreement
Supports healthier civic participation

Change begins locally, through repeated experiences of being heard and listening well.

Looking Ahead

As CPL grows, we remain focused on depth, quality, and sustainability. Our goal is not rapid expansion, but meaningful, supported engagement that strengthens communities over time.

Funders, partners, and members of the press play an important role in helping this work reach more communities while remaining true to its mission.

Our Mission Our Vision