Beyond Diagonalism with Nicole Negowetti

In a time of deepening polarization and institutional distrust, we find ourselves in what Naomi Klein names the Mirror World, a landscape of distortions where genuine grievances, misinformation, and identity politics blur together. This has given rise to “diagonalism,” where people from across the political spectrum converge around shared suspicion of institutions, sometimes in generative ways and sometimes in ways that feed conspiratorial, extractive, or anti-democratic energies. Beyond Diagonalism invites us into a deeper discernment: how do we honor multiple knowledge systems without falling into epistemic relativism, and how do we differentiate between healthy skepticism and narratives that deepen fear, othering, and fragmentation?

Nicole Negowetti will join as a guest host to frame and guide this conversation. She is a complexity navigator, facilitator, and author of Feeding the Future: Restoring the Planet and Healing Ourselves (Georgetown University Press, 2026).

Through her platform Food For Us, Nicole helps organizations and communities navigate collapse, polarization, and profound uncertainty. Her work bridges food systems, health, and democracy to explore how we might live and heal together on a changing planet. Together, we’ll explore the relational and embodied practices that help us rebuild trust, navigate complexity across difference, and hold firm boundaries while remaining open, curious, and committed to the common good.