1) Convergence is partnering with other organizations to conduct the U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum, a three-year dialogue between civil society leaders in both countries to create understanding and partnerships. 2) Representatives

1. Page 1 December 2010
From The President
T
he U.S. has just come through another • Notes From Pakistan.................. 2
spirited election cycle and another • On a Mission to Fund a Vision... 2
demonstration of the vitality of our
democracy. Yet for many of us, the divisive tone • Testimonials from Richard Land,
and tenor of the election was dispiriting. And Anita Dunn, Senator Harris
just as importantly, this election seems unlikely Wofford, and Kelly Johnston..... 3
to inspire a capacity for cooperative problem • Convergence Briefs: Movements
solving that is equal to the economic, social, and on Wellness Project; USMEI
security challenges the nation now faces. Receives Mellon Grant............... 4
In his book To Heal A Fractured World, • Expanding Horizons.................... 4
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes:
“At the heart of divisiveness and polarization is a terrible fear,
a sense of abandonment, and a failure of optimism and
courage… too much anger and vituperation; too much speaking
and too little listening; too much condemnation and too little
understanding; too much self-righteousness and too little
humility; and too much preoccupation with our fears and
Convergence
pains, too little attention to others' fears and pains.” Community
Working with many of you, Convergence seeks to be in the Expands
vanguard of addressing the conditions Rabbi Sacks so eloquently
identifies as causing unnecessary and costly division and ...And We Thank
polarization. As a nation, we are yet to institutionalize capacity to
resolve problems in a manner that maximizes listening, empathy, You
and understanding. We have not learned to hear one another so
that our real, and not imagined, differences can be used to generate You are an essential
better ideas and solutions than those held by advocates of any one part of the
perspective. Convergence
There are no simple or comprehensive solutions for how to engage Community,
our collective intelligence to work for the common good. supporting us
Convergence has no illusions about its ability alone to reverse a financially, making
troubling loss of civility and mutual respect in our political system. valuable connections
Yet, with a strong leadership group and talented partners, on our behalf, sharing
including many of you, we are working to take our vision to scale to
address major issues of the day. This newsletter provides a glimpse
your ideas and
of what we are undertaking and how we are doing so. We welcome inspirations—without
your input and involvement. you we would not be
here!
We wish all of you a prosperous and peaceful holiday season.
~Robert Fersh, Founder and President
Convergence | 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 202.419.3951 | www.cnvg.org

2. Page 2 December 2010
Notes From Pakistan
Convergence is partnering with three other non-profit organizations to conduct the U.S.- Pakistan
Leaders Forum, a three-year initiative of dialogue among civil society leaders to create
understanding, partnerships and cooperative projects to the benefit of both countries. The Forum is
a part of the larger U.S.- Muslim Engagement Initiative. To help organize the first Forum meeting in
Lahore in February 2011, David Fairman of the Consensus Building Institute (and Convergence
Leadership Council) and Aakif Ahmad of Convergence arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan on September
26 for a weeklong series of interviews with civil society leaders across the country. The goal was to
understand the primary concerns and perceptions of Pakistani leaders about their own society and
their relationship with the U.S., and assess the level of Pakistani leadership interest in and support
for the Forum. This is Aakif’s first-hand report.
We traveled to three cities in six days and met with over fifty Nearly all of the Pakistani leaders expressed strong
influential Pakistanis in media, interest in the idea of a U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum
education, energy, agriculture, to bring civil society leaders together for dialogue and
business, finance, health and social partnership building. Many commented that such an
services, conflict resolution, national initiative is “long overdue” and “urgently needed” as a
security, law, local and provincial way for Pakistanis and Americans outside of
governance, and key officials at the government to address negative perceptions, identify
U.S. Embassy. Fortunately, the roads areas of common interest, and build new partnerships.
are much improved in Pakistan these Many told us: “We wish you had come ten years ago.”
days, yet we appreciated our two able
David and I considered this a very productive trip. We
consultants, one who doubled as an
were very encouraged by the enthusiastic response we
expert driver, as we rushed from one
received, including among the more conservative
meeting to the next in bustling city
elements of the country; and we were impressed by the
Aakif Ahmad and David and suburban environments flanked
Fairman in Karachi visiting vibrant entrepreneurship and problem-solving
the Minister for Youth Affairs, by SUV’s, motorbikes, rickshaws orientation of many we met. “Our system is tough to
Mr. Faisal Sabswari and cyclists.
work in, but we can do the work,” one leader said. “But
Many Pakistani leaders we met with expressed strong you have the
concern on three issues: national and local governance; flood best practices,
recovery and underlying economic and social challenges; the skills, and
and national security issues. They also reflected a range of the training
views and concerns on Pakistan’s relationship with the U.S. that we can
learn from
Most leaders said the relationship between the Pakistani and and…we also
the U.S. government was seriously flawed. At the same time, have a thing
they stressed that many Pakistanis have positive views of the or two to
U.S. for its economic opportunities, educational system,
teach,” he said, Aakif Ahmad and David Fairman in Lahore
culture of hard work and individual responsibility, and visiting six former Mayors in the State of
smiling. Punjab, including former Mayor of Lahore,
personal freedoms—values that many Pakistanis believe the Mr. Mian Amer Mehmood
two societies share and can form the basis for greater
cooperation for mutual interest and benefit. David and I believe this can be the basis for positive
cooperation, improved
On A Mission to Fund A Vision understanding, and more
positive relations over time.
You are invited to make a year-end contribution and play a part in our The next step is to return to
Campaign for Convergence. Our goal is to raise $2.5M in gifts and multi-year Pakistan (February 2011)
pledges by July 1, 2011, to develop at least three breakthrough solutions over with twenty or so American
the next three years. This process will exemplify a better way to reach leaders to meet with twenty
intelligent solutions that most Americans will support. Pakistani counterparts. The
concentration will be in the
Join our community by becoming a:
areas of education (including
Champion ($5,000 and up) Patron ($2,500-$4,999)
job training and youth
Benefactor ($1,000-$2,499) Supporter ($500-$999)
leadership) and agriculture,
Friend (up to $499) Sustaining Member (monthly donation)
with crosscutting discussion
Your gift provides essential and timely seed funding for of governance, media, and
Convergence—funding we can leverage to attract additional overall perception issues.
funding. Please give as generously as you can. Convergence is a We look forward to updating
501(c) 3 charitable organization. All donations are deductible to the you with the results of the
Forum’s first meeting in the
full extent of the law.
next newsletter. We welcome
http://cnvg.org/Donate.html or mail a check to Convergence your thoughts and feedback.
Convergence | 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 202.419.3951 | www.cnvg.org

3. Page 3 December 2010
Presenters at Recent Convergence
Leadership Council Meeting
Rev. Richard Land Anita Dunn
President, Ethics & Senior Partner,
Religious Liberty Squier Knapp Dunn
Commission, Southern Communications
Baptist Convention “Convergence is a good
"I was pleased to be part of the idea at the right time.
US-Muslim Engagement With policy debates so
Project, which demonstrated charged and politicized
the ability of people of very today, the country needs
differing backgrounds and perspectives to find places where people with differing and
important common ground on a crucial national conflicting views can actually talk with, not
issue. Now, I wholeheartedly support the past, each other to solve problems. I wish
approach of Convergence and am pleased to be Convergence success in its efforts to fill this
part of it. When people ask me how to build important need.”
bridges to the Southern Baptist Convention, my
answer is always simple—just talk with us.
Whether it is international issues involving
violence, or domestic issues where tempers run
high, I am partial to the Winston Churchill quote,
‘to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.'"
In Their Own Words: From Our LC Members
The Honorable Kelly Johnston
Harris Wofford, Vice President,
Former U.S. Senator, Government Affairs,
Pennsylvania Campbell Soup
“Although I have witnessed Company
many instances of strange "In a sense, Convergence
bedfellows working together to me is like an alcoholic
over the years, my specific recovery organization.
introduction to policy That’s because prior to
consensus-building came from working with my my joining the private sector, I spent a good
former political adversary Rick Santorum on part of my career being part of the problem in
community and faith-based approaches to poverty Washington–advancing partisan solutions
alleviation. That process, in the 2001-2 period, for political gain. Moving to the private sector
demonstrated to me that even groups with and in search of bipartisan solutions, I
contentious differences could find ways to work realized the gridlock and distrust I had
together. This is one reason why I am so helped foment. Convergence is the answer.
supportive of and involved with Convergence. Convergence is for serious, public-spirited
Given the challenges we face and the frustrations people to openly dialogue respectfully and
with the current state of politics, Convergence inspire trust without surrendering one’s
may be coming along at just the right juncture passions and beliefs. Convergence is about
where history and opportunity merge for a new inspiring and generating new directions and
level of national problem solving.” aligning with creative new approaches to
some of our most intractable issues. It is a
breath of fresh air in the public arena, and its
time is now."
Convergence | 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 202.419.3951 | www.cnvg.org

4. Page 4 December 2010
Convergence Takes on Wellness
• CONVERGENCE BRIEFS Convergence seeks to convene an unprecedented dialogue-
leading-to-action among the leading voices and concerned parties
on food, nutrition and health, especially including those with
divergent views and incentives. The project had an outstanding
kick-off planning meeting November 15. Participating were
former Governors Tommy Thompson and Mike Dukakis and
representatives of a wide range of stakeholders including the food
industry, consumer and community leaders, health care groups,
pharmaceutical companies and others.
USMEI Receives Mellon Grant
Convergence is proud to announce an $85,000 grant from the
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the U.S.-Muslim
Engagement Initiative. The grant will be dedicated to support a
full-time post-doctoral fellow in the humanities for a year to work
on the U.S.-Muslim Engagement Initiative’s research and
programmatic activities.
It Takes a Visionary to Back a Big Idea
You are invited to join the Convergence Founders Circle—a group of generous
people who believe that diverse perspectives, knowledge and experience generate the
creative tensions necessary for groundbreaking solutions that inspire broad support.
Founders Circle members contribute a minimum of $10,000 a year for 3 years for a total of
$30,000. Founders Circle members receive invitations to issue-based Briefings and the
Annual Founders’ Circle Event, print and online recognition, including a list on a
permanent plaque at Convergence headquarters.
For more information, contact Lyn Bazzell at lynbazzell@cnvg.org.
Expanding Horizons
Convergence Captures Hearts and Minds
We represented our vision at the following venues this year:
• Association for Conflict Resolution, Chicago, September 2010
• US Summit for Citizen Diplomacy, Washington, DC, November 2010
• Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America (OPEN), Houston, December 2010
• No Labels Founder's Meeting, New York, December 2010
• Greater Baltimore Committee, Baltimore, December 2010
Convergence | 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 202.419.3951 | www.cnvg.org