Aired Oct 15, 2025

What happens when people who disagree—sometimes deeply—come together to solve real problems in their community?

In this episode of Outrage Overload, we speak with Kira Hamman, Senior Director of Programs at Urban Rural Action, an organization that works in divided communities across the country to build trust, develop skills for constructive conversation, and create lasting change.

Through their Uniting for Action program and their new Powering Pluralism and Democracy initiative, Urban Rural Action helps people strengthen the “muscles” for respectful engagement and then put those skills to work on projects that matter locally.

You’ll hear clips from participants in projects who discovered what can happen when neighbors set aside differences and work toward a common goal. Their stories highlight the hope, possibility, and durability that come from action—not just talk.

Kira Hamman is Senior Director of Programs at Urban Rural Action, where she leads community-based initiatives bridging divides. A former Penn State faculty member with a mathematics background, she specializes in constructive conversations and collaborative problem-solving.

Links

Urban Rural Action (uraction.org)