Event: How to Escape the Destructive Cycle in Vaccine Conversations

The Alaska Humanities Forum is offering a free workshop on Thursday, February 3rd on how to have better conversations about vaccines.

At home, at work, and in virtual meeting spaces, Alaskans are tackling challenging conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine. Whether we're figuring out how to come back to the office, navigating childcare, or planning family gatherings, talking about vaccination arouses powerful feelings about our safety, our health, our freedom, our autonomy, and our responsibility to the communities we care for.

Faulty assumptions and loaded words can push a relationship into a vicious cycle of defensiveness, mistrust, and hostility. Our private conversations repeat and reinforce our public discourse: some Alaskans attack “anti-vaxxers” who “don't believe in science” while other Alaskans feel that their concerns about the medical system and our government are being unfairly dismissed and mischaracterized. Still other Alaskans are fearful about speaking up at all, worried that they could be labeled ignorant, naive, or evil if they say the wrong thing.

The upcoming “How to Escape the Destructive Cycle of Conflict in Vaccine Conversations” workshop offers hands-on practice and concrete tools for navigating challenging conversations about vaccines with coworkers, family members, friends, and acquaintances. The workshop is designed to meet people wherever they are, regardless of their position and beliefs about vaccines. The workshop does not push a particular position with regards to vaccines, but rather provides a toolkit for more constructive conversations. This workshop will cover:

• How to see beyond your story
• How to expand your window of tolerance
• How to transform resistance

RSVP here: How to Escape the Destructive Cycle of Conflict in Vaccine Conversations

Thursday, February 3rd, 6pm - 8pm

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/96747481955?pwd=SXBpSUJPWmwwNXJ5WU03SGF4eHY2UT09

This project is conducted in partnership with the Alaska Children's Trust with funding from United Way and the Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Health Department. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Way of Anchorage or the Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Health Department.

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