What's Worth Protecting?

At a time when so much feels contested, this series asks a different question:

“What do we still hold in common—and what’s worth protecting?”

We intend to use care to openly explore the intersection of diverse perspectives. We aim to understand how we got so polarized and how we can create a depolarized society with more mutuality and connectedness.

In polarized discourse, people often frame things in terms of threat:

That posture tends to lead to defensiveness or aggression — people focus on who the enemy is, rather than what they value. By contrast, when we ask “What is worth protecting?” — and especially when we frame it emotionally, like a couples therapist might — we shift people into a mindset of attachment and often, loss or grief:

Those are expressions of loss, or fear of loss — not just fear of attack. That’s what I meant by vulnerability:Instead of blaming, the person is revealing what they care about. That kind of disclosure builds trust — and makes meaningful dialogue more possible.

So the prompt “What is worth protecting?” can allow for both: Hope (we can still preserve this), and Grief (we may already be losing it).

Each submission or conversation becomes a mirror — not of someone’s opinion, but of what they care about. And once you see that someone’s anger or defensiveness comes from love or grief, it’s harder to dismiss them outright.This is where Depolarization Institute can really shine: by pairing art and conversation to reveal that we’re often grieving the same things — even if we blame different causes.

How It Works

The Community Nominates the Artwork

Anyone can nominate a piece of art by filling out a short form on the With Community website. The only requirement is that the artwork be viewable online.Each nominated piece will be added to a public Art Collection on the Depolarization Institute website, with its own page featuring the reason it was nominated and the impact it had on the nominator.Artists are encouraged to nominate their own work as well.

Join a Small Group Discussion

After nominations close, participants and members of the broader community will be invited to take part in optional small-group Zoom salons.These facilitated conversations are a chance to:Reflect on the nominated artExplore shared themes around care, duty, or identityBuild relationships through respectful, human dialogueWe model our approach on compassionate listening and shared inquiry, not debate.

Community Response Instead of Voting

For 21 days after the nomination period ends, we’ll invite the public to lift up the artwork that resonates most—through social sharing and reflection.

Here’s how it works:
Post a link to your favorite piece from the Depolarization Institute website on your social mediaInclude the hashtags #DepolarizationInstitute and #Whatsworthprotecting ink directly to the artwork’s individual page.
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This kind of response allows us to track not just popularity, but meaningful engagement.

Optional reflection prompts will be emailed to each nominator to support deeper conversation. Artists are welcome to join in and respond to comments about their work.

Evaluation and Selection

A Selection Team will review social activity, comments, and discussion group insights to identify featured works. Selections will be based on:
Depth of engagement
Quality of reflection or conversation
Resonance with the theme

Cash and in-kind prizes will be awarded to selected artists and nominators.