An Invitation Is Not Enough: Strategies for Inclusive Dialogue

Deliberative Dialogue is a co-curricular program at Georgia Southern University that introduces students to practices of dialogue and models for pairing dialogue and deliberative techniques. The program aims to provide space and structure for students to build relationships across a variety of boundaries (Battistoni et al 2014) and to develop the skills to work through collective challenges. It challenges students to become comfortable with social and political complexity and to develop the ability to “hold the tensions of opposite views” (Palmer 2011). We aim to develop student’s understanding of iterative approaches to problem solving by practicing “cycles of action and reflection” in both individual and group contexts (Principles of Appreciative Inquiry). Students develop their ability to actively listen and process the experiences of others and to tell their own story in connection with current circumstances and events. They develop leadership skills that include personal identity awareness, knowledge of social justice concepts and systemic inequalities, and skills in facilitation and active listening. In this workshop we will share the basis of our curriculum, and action steps for setting up and facilitating a dialogue session. We will begin by walking participants through dialogue activities, reflect on the process, and explain the purpose behind each component. We will focus on strategies for distributing air time and increasing input and participation from a variety of people including those that may not often contribute in traditional debate, discussion, or classroom settings. This will include using the physical space, setting expectations that promote collective accountability, and useful fall back activities for when conversation is slow or becomes too intense or personal. Strategies and techniques discussed and practiced will be useful for students, university faculty and staff, and representatives from community agencies. They have wide adaptability and can be used in classroom settings and student organizations as well as in existing dialogue efforts or as tools to increase connection and communication between students and community partners. Sources: Battistoni, Richard, Nicholas Longo, Keith Morton. Co-Creating Mutual Spaces for Campuses and Communities. In: John Hamerlinck and Julie Plaut. Asset-Based Community Engagement in Higher Education. Lulu. com, 2014. Palmer, Parker J. Healing the heart of democracy: The courage to create a politics worthy of the human spirit. John Wiley & Sons, 2011