BELFAST — The Belfast Free Library will host a community discussion titled "How to Talk to Each Other in Spite of our Differences" Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. This free Camden Conference Community Event features facilitator Craig Freshley, who will share insights from his extensive experience in fostering productive dialogue across ideological divides. 

"The future of our democracy depends on our ability to engage in meaningful dialogue," says Freshley, in a Camden Conference news release. 

Freshley is the winner of the 2019 American Award for Civic Collaboration. Drawing from his experience facilitating over 3,000 meetings and 40 Make Shift Coffee House sessions across Maine, Freshley will lead an interactive program addressing how to navigate challenging conversations, handle misinformation, and respond to threats to democratic discourse. 

Freshley, author of Together We Decide: An Essential Guide for Making Good Group Decisions and founder of Good Group Decisions, brings decades of experience facilitating public sector discussions throughout Maine. His approach emphasizes practical strategies for building understanding across diverse perspectives. 

This presentation is hosted by the Belfast Free Library and offered as a free community event in anticipation of the 38th Annual Camden Conference – Democracy Under Threat: A Global Perspective, February 21-23, 2025, live at the Camden Opera House and live-streamed to the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Lunt Auditorium in Falmouth, and to homes and classrooms worldwide. For more information about the Camden Conference and upcoming events, visit www.camdenconference.org.