At a Moment of National Divide, Fetzer Institute Sponsors StoryCorps' National Day of Listening on November 26, 2010

At a Moment of National Divide, Fetzer Institute Sponsors StoryCorps' National Day of Listening on November 26, 2010

Holiday tradition promotes listening and understanding by encouraging Americans to share their stories on the day after Thanksgiving

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fetzer Institute announces its sponsorship of StoryCorps' third annual National Day of Listening (NDL) November 26, 2010. The National Day of Listening is an effort to encourage Americans of all backgrounds to interview a friend, loved one, or member of their community about their lives on the day after Thanksgiving.

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"Some of life's most important questions are the ones we often don't take the time to ask," noted Fetzer Institute President and CEO Lawrence Sullivan. "With StoryCorps' National Day of Listening, we have an annual invitation to engage with friends and family to listen, love, and learn."

StoryCorps recommends that participants record their National Day of Listening conversations on November 26 or during the holiday season using equipment that is already available to them: a computer, mobile phone, tape recorder, or pen and paper. StoryCorps offers a free Instruction Guide with equipment recommendations, great questions to ask, and ideas for preserving and sharing National Day of Listening interviews at http://nationaldayoflistening.org/.

"In an era of fierce political and cultural divides, we hope that the idea of listening to one another during the holiday season resonates with many Americans," says StoryCorps Founder and MacArthur "Genius" Dave Isay. "Through our National Day of Listening, StoryCorps hopes to remind Americans of all stripes how much more unites us than divides us."

The National Day of Listening occurs every year on the day after Thanksgiving, offering a holiday alternative to Black Friday shopping sprees. Sponsorship of the 2010 National Day of Listening is provided by The Fetzer Institute. National Public Radio is a national partner of the National Day of Listening and will broadcast a special series of NDL interviews during the week leading up to Thanksgiving.

The Fetzer Institute is a nonprofit, private operating foundation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Established by broadcast pioneer John E. Fetzer (1901-1991), the Institute uses its philanthropic resources to create programs that foster awareness of the power that love, forgiveness, and compassion can have in our world. With an endowment of $380 million, the Institute dedicates approximately $20 million annually toward its programming efforts.

SOURCE Fetzer Institute

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Fetzer Institute

CONTACT: Amy Ferguson, Fetzer Institute, +1-269-375-2000, media@fetzer.org

Web Site: http://www.fetzer.org

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