How to Keep College Campuses from Becoming Political Battlegrounds - Manu Meel

What is driving the recent conflict on college campuses? One obvious factor is reaction to the Israel-Hamas War.

But my guest this week isn’t sure it’s quite that simple. 

As CEO of the non-profit, BridgeUSA, 25 year-old Manu Meel is in constant contact with students on more than 70 campuses across the country.

The organization helps facilitate conversations among college and high school students with idealogical differences.

In the days and weeks following the October 7th massacre of Israelis by Hamas, Bridge USA heard plenty from its student members.

“There was a lot of pain, there was a lot of confusion as to what to do on campus,” says Manu. “And then as the news cycle started going and as what I call the elite Twitter crowd went to play, and as people started to essentially lose sight of what had happened and focus on what’s the broader implication, what’s my tribe going to say and how do I make the most of this moment — I think then you saw that trickle down into campuses. “

Tribal Politics on Campus 
Political protest on campus is nothing new. 

But America’s tribal politics have reached a fever pitch, finding a fertile home where the freedom to explore and express, typically a welcome right of passage, is now emblazoned with an asterisk.

*Speak your mind at the risk of being demonized by “the other”.

*Explore divergent points of view at the risk of angering your tribe.

*Express your opinion at the risk of being cancelled, or worse..

Glimmer of Hope
It’s no surprise that the tension on college campuses is a microcosm of the tension in America.

But there is a glimmer of hope, Manu assures us, and it’s on these very college campuses.

It’s just that we don’t often hear about it in the media.

You’ll hear about it now as Manu helps unpack the nuances of this complex topic.

This remarkable young leader kicks off the 6th year of Our Voices Matter, sharing thoughtful insight on the generation tasked with leading us into the future.

One that will hopefully remind us how to have civil, constructive conversations with those who look and think differently than we do.

A future where we celebrate and embrace our common humanity rather than blind allegiance to our tribes.

www.ourvoicesmatterpodcast.com
www.lorellemedia.com


This podcast is devoted to empowering us all to better understand each other's differences...one story at a time.  Emmy Award-winning journalist, Linda Lorelle, guides guests through insightful, unexpected conversations that reveal our common humanity.  This show is not about politics per se; it is about finding a way to reclaim civility in the context of the contentious times in which we live, by sharing our personal and professional stories, in hopes that others might find a glimpse of themselves.