Livewell

Huskies Have Difficult Conversations

“Solving a difficult conflict is never about determining who is right and who is wrong. It involves navigating differing perspectives and meeting at a common ground.”

From the book Difficult Conversations (Patton, Stone, Heen)

Huskies Don’t Cancel aims to:

Educate and encourage the principles that support democracy.
Challenge cancel culture and encourage values that create a healthier community culture about conflict and difference.
Teach vital communication and interpersonal effectiveness skills that help us navigate difficult conversations effectively.

What is Huskies Don’t Cancel?

Huskies Don’t Cancel is a multi-faceted campaign with the goal of providing education and skills that allow us to participate in democracy and engage effectively in difficult conversations. As members of the University of Washington community, we can challenge the narrative of cancel culture and develop values that create a healthier culture around conflict and difference of opinion. Recent research shows that 56% of students surveyed were concerned about facing scrutiny or damage to their reputation because of someone misinterpreting their words or actions (FIRE 2024). In an ever changing political climate, students have the power to develop skills to engage in civil discourse, recognize their personal biases, approach difference of opinion with intellectual curiosity, and navigate media as informed citizens. These skills are not only vital for a democractic nation, but also serve us in navigating the inevitable conflict and differences that arise in our interpersonal relationships. Having the skills to navigate conflict is crucial to health, fulfilling social relationships, building intimacy, and strengthening our interpersonal intelligence. In Autumn 2024 our Huskies Don’t Cancel poster campaign (electronic and print) and accompanying Huskies Don’t Cancel Pledge Challenge will be disseminated widely across campus.

Huskies Have Difficult Conversations Workshop

UW’s Peer Health Educators are also now facilitating an accompanying workshop that builds on our Huskies Don’t Cancel campaign called Huskies have Difficult Conversations, which includes evidence-based content for: assertive communication, recognizing cognitive biases, communicating effectively through conflict, and how to manage media impacts on our mental health.

Our Husky Media Management for Mental Health workshop that teaches important media literacy skills is already available for request. UW’s Peer Wellness Coaches are always here to support students in a free 1-1 setting with any social-emotional skills students want to learn for: managing conflict, building relationships, navigating political discourse, or setting healthier routines around news/media consumption.

Questions or inquiries about this campaign can be directed to LiveWell’s Assistant Director at [email protected]

Take the Pledge!

I pledge as a UW Husky to build understanding across difference, to be curious about things I don’t understand, and to engage in dialogue with those I disagree with. I will not engage with cancel culture, and instead model intellectual curiosity by: asking questions, fighting cognitive biases, finding common ground, and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.

Add your name to the Pledge HERE!

Keep an eye on our instagram or our events page for when the Peer Health Educators do media literacy games around campus (with prizes and Huskies Don’t Cancel swag!) this Autumn!

Campus Resources

UW Media Literacy Resources: Take a look at this compilation of resources and information regarding navigating media’s impact on our social and emotional health from UW LiveWell!

LiveWell Husky Media Management workshop and/or the Huskies have Difficult Conversations workshop that is a part of our Huskies Don’t Cancel campaign.

Social Media and Media Literacy Handbook: This handbook was made by UW Livewell Peer Health Educators to discuss the impact of social media on the spread of information and how we can evaluate our personal use of social media.

Peer Wellness Coaches are a free resource for UW Seattle students. Our Peer Wellness Coaches can support you with interpersonal and social issues like navigating conflicts, strengthening healthy relationships, and learning assertive communication skills.

Huskies Vote! through the CELE Center has multiple resources on voting and voter education for all students, regardless of residency.

Resources & Recommended Readings:

The Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart: The Media Bias chart is a helpful resource that allows you to see where your preferred sources of news fall on the political spectrum and how reliable its reporting and analytical techniques are. The chart includes thousands of websites, networks, shows, and podcasts and are evaluated by a wide variety of academics, journalists, lawyers, and librarians.

2024 College Free Speech Rankings: FIRE, or the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, is a bipartisan organization that advocates for free speech its importance to democracy. Check out their 2024 report on the state of free speech on college campuses, and what students can do to contribute to a campus culture that values diversity of ideas and productive disagreement.

Using Self Affirmation to Increase Intellectual Humility in Debate

The Effects of Community Based and Civic Engagement in Higher Education

Student Voting Rates for University of Washington-Seattle Campus 2020 NSLVE Campus Report

FIRE Student Attitudes on Free Speech Survey

How can I get posters/materials?

Request physical copies of these posters and/or Huskies Don’t Cancel stickers for pick-up or interoffice mailing by emailing [email protected]. You can also request other LiveWell print materials for your offices and students.

Download digital poster files HERE. These images and content belong to UW LiveWell and should not be altered or changed without written permission. Any inquiries about this can be directed to LiveWell’s Assistant Director at [email protected]

The Huskies Don’t Cancel campaign was created by UW LiveWell’s Peer Health Educators and the Assistant Director of LiveWell. UW Junior Karen Mulholland is the brilliant designer and creator of the poster campaign for Huskies Don’t Cancel.

University of Washington