Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI)
Mapping and supporting efforts to reduce political violence and strengthen democratic resilience in the U.S.
Who They Are
The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a nonpartisan research initiative housed at Princeton University. BDI works to track, map, and strengthen the field of organizations working to reduce political violence, address rising polarization, and build democratic resilience across the United States.
Founded in 2019, BDI combines real-time data, collaborative research, and community partnership to support practitioners, policymakers, journalists, and civic organizations with the tools and insights they need to respond to social and political division at the local level.
What They Do
Real-Time Mapping of Political Violence & Division
BDI provides an interactive U.S. Political Violence & Conflict Tracker, updated weekly with localized data on incidents and risks—helping community leaders, journalists, and decision-makers respond proactively.Field Mapping & Landscape Analysis
Through national and state-level ecosystem maps, BDI highlights hundreds of organizations working on bridge-building, civic engagement, and conflict prevention—making the invisible field of civic healing visible and accessible.Research & Reports
Publishes timely, action-oriented briefs and toolkits on threats to democracy, trends in violence or hate, and opportunities for coordinated local response.Partner Support
Offers technical assistance and data-sharing support for organizations doing frontline democracy work—ensuring their strategies are informed by context-specific data.
Why They Matter
In a fragmented civic landscape, BDI provides the infrastructure, intelligence, and insight that community leaders and bridge-builders need to act strategically and collaboratively. By surfacing real-time risks and spotlighting grassroots solutions, they empower organizations like The Change Lab to respond to division with clarity, care, and coordination.
Connection to The Change Lab
The Change Lab believes in rooting relationship-building efforts in real-world systems—and BDI offers the data and tools to do just that. Their conflict mapping and local ecosystem research help us better understand the terrain we're working in, identify allies, and design interventions that are timely, targeted, and rooted in local reality.
