Braver Angels Ambassadors. Barbara Hancin and Ron McFarland

Braver Angels Ambassadors are among the most courageous of courageous citizens.

Not only do they bridge the partisan divide, these volunteers meet people where they are. At meetings and events across the country, they go speak about Braver Angels as they try to convince skeptics that rebuilding civic trust is a cause worth supporting. 

In this episode, we hear from Barbara Hancin and Ron “Sugar Bear” McFarland, volunteer co-chairs of the Braver Angels ambassadors program.

“What we’re were doing is giving hope to people,” says Barbara. “We don’t have to stay in the rancor. There are ways to build bridges and we’ll help you do that.”

Barbara has more than 35 years of experience in higher education, with expertise in linguistics and second language learning, global studies, and academic administration. She’s a moderator for workshops that bring people together across differences. Barbara leans Blue and lives in Colorado. Ron leans Red and calls home home Ames Iowa. A former star college football player at Iowa State University, Ron has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an educator, coach, mentor and civic bridge builder. 

In this episode, we hear about the mission of Braver Angels Ambassadors, plus exactly how and why they do their work. We share compelling and surprising examples of how Ron and Barbara engage with total strangers.

Both of them say their volunteering has brought personal rewards. “It made me be more patient,” says Ron. “It changed me to understand that just because I think something should be a certain way that doesn’t mean the other person agrees.”

“How Do We Fix It?” publishes frequent reports on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels, the largest nation group of citizen volunteers who are working to overcome America's divides and restore civic trust.

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