Quest Toastmaster’s officials are inviting all types of speakers, both shy and extroverted, to Stop the Hate, an open discussion at the Valencia Library from 5:30-6:30 PM, about communicating ideas without the hostility often seen in today’s political environment.

The Quest Toastmasters are part of Toastmasters International, a global organization focused on improving and promoting public speaking.

After a successful anti-bullying discussion at the library, the Quest Toastmaster’s host Lisa Kaul created this event in an effort to avoid the more righteous social media sparring that tends to divide more people than help them understand each other’s point of view.

In her frustration over the social media rage, Kaul said to herself that she was tired of people hating each other over politics, and wanted them to stop. Thus she came up with the name.

“I was noticing a really clear divide in my news feed,” said Kaul. “One side was pointing fingers at another…(here) we want people listening to understand, instead of listening to react.”

At the event, Kaul wants people to share their points of view while practicing their public speaking skills, without pushing forward their personal agendas.

But for the Toastmasters, part of understanding different perspectives requires speaking in front of strangers.

“It’s really important to speak in front of new audiences,” Kaul said, “because if you speak in front of the same audience over and over again, you don’t gain anything.”

Improving communication is one of the essential goals of the function, as it is essential to sharing different political perspectives without any humiliation or rage.

“It’s important for people to feel comfortable and safe and to have the conversations they need to have, without fearing they’re going to be shut up,” Kaul said.

Kaul hopes that with the event, people will work to understand one another rather than fight one another.
“Everyone has a voice,” Kaul said, “everyone has an opinion, everyone does matter.”