New Builders initiative looks to fight polarization by encouraging collaboration and alliances

NEW YORK — Adam Luke remembers entering the first meeting of what would become the Citizen Solutions pilot project thinking, “Oh god, this is going to suck.”

A self-described “educated redneck,” Luke was one of 11 Tennesseans with widely divergent views on gun rights selected by the project to discuss potential recommendations to reduce gun violence. He has fond memories of his dad checking him out of school when he was in first grade to go deer hunting and has long considered himself a gun rights supporter, saying, “Firearms have always had a positive influence in my life.”

Luke, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says he wanted to represent that point of view as well as address the needs of those looking to curb gun violence.

“The reason why I came to the table was that I’m so tired of the idea that we can’t do anything, that there’s no way forward… that the citizens of America are incapable of being able to communicate with one another,” Luke said. “That’s what I wanted to be hostile against.”

That desire to work together, to address a problem, and to fight polarization led the Tennessee 11, as they called themselves, to develop a slate of laws that could reduce gun violence in their state. It also led the coalition of artistic, political and philanthropic leaders behind the pilot project to believe it had enough merit to be expanded.

That coalition — which includes entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Lubetzky, actor Liev Schreiber, journalist Katie Couric, director of the Muhammad Ali Center Lonnie Ali, and others – announced Tuesday that it would launch Builders, a nonprofit global initiative aimed at reducing polarization while encouraging people to work together to find solutions they can all support.

“The problem is the way social media and cable news are turning everything into ‘us versus them’ situations,” said Lubetzky, founder of Kind Snacks and recurring shark on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” “Builders will counteract that by providing people help on how to strengthen their thinking, how to process information, and how they can actually solve problems rather than create animosity.”

Builders rolled out with the release of Lubetzky’s recent TED talk on fighting polarization. He said the initiative will have four major components – Builders Media to produce digital content that challenges stereotypes and divisive narratives; Builders Toolkit to help educational institutions encourage critical…