Hi, I am Taylan, the founder of this initiative. I am very glad you are here.

My story with Be the Bridge started 12 years ago. I was at a months-long protest, where I experienced tear gas and water cannons for the first time. I was filled with rage, like everyone else around me. Then a thought popped into my head: What’s going through the police officers’ minds as they do all this?

I posted on Facebook (yeah, it was still the thing back then) asking if anyone knew a cop I could talk to. Turns out, I did — someone from a completely different world I’d met once at a conference. We got on a call and talked for hours. Same event, totally different realities. It was a magical moment that stuck with me for years. We still check in with each other now and then.

Since then, I’ve done this a few more times — reached out during tense moments to talk with someone on the “other side.” Every time, it’s been grounding, humbling, eye-opening, sometimes even healing.

I thought there have to be more people out there who want to have real conversations across divides—and are just tired of the toxic, overheated debate culture we see every day.

Except for a few local groups and subreddits, I couldn’t find that space. So, I built one. I hope this community brings you similar experiences — real conversations, across real differences.