Book
Pro-Voice How to Keep Listening When the World Wants a Fight
When Aspen Baker had an abortion at the age of twenty-four, she felt caught between the warring pro-life and pro-choice factions, with no safe space to share her feelings.
In this hopeful and moving book, Baker describes how she and Exhale, the organization she cofounded, developed their “pro-voice” philosophy and the creative approaches they employed to help women and men have respectful, compassionate exchanges about even this most controversial of topics. She shows how pro-voice can be adopted by anyone interested in replacing ideological gridlock with empathetic conversation. Peace, in this perspective, isn’t a world without conflict but one where conflict can be engaged in—fiercely and directly—without dehumanizing ourselves or our opponents
Baker’s message to activists is powerful: when we hear one another as people and not as enemies, we create a world in which authenticity and innovation can help us find a way past entrenched obstacles to social change.
Aspen Baker takes one of the most contentious issues of our age, and pulls an unexpected magic trick. Instead of delivering up a call to arms, she opens up a safe place for empathy, caring, and transformation. Because Aspen dared to share her story, we recognize the power of our own.
The best social and policy change begins with having discussion in the real world with real people. Aspen shows us a way to listen in a deeper way, creating space for us to see the complexity of experiences with abortion, helping us to reach across divisions and see the humanity in each other.