Deliberative Dialogues
The Center for Civic Engagement is excited to offer Deliberative Dialogues on campus!
Deliberative Dialogues are guided conversations on a political or controversial topic. This model of conversation removes polarizing positions and one-sided lectures by simply asking participants to investigate specific solutions to an issue through the help of an issue guide and facilitator. Center staff have been trained to facilitate dialogues for classes, student organizations, and University groups/departments.
By participating in a Deliberative Dialogue, participants can learn skills to express their own perspectives while also listening to the perspectives of others (important civic skills). Participants can also learn how to have conversations on difficult and complex topics.
A dialogue is optimally two hours long, but Center staff can work with instructors to divide the experience over two class periods if necessary. (This may require students to do out of class reading or writing before or after the classroom dialogue.)
The Center uses the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) model of deliberative dialogues. NIFI outcomes are:
- Deeper understanding of issues and tensions within it
- Insight/awareness of different views
- Starting point for citizen action (individually & collectively)
- Learn about the issue
- Improve democratic skills/attitudes
Center staff have drilled down to the following outcomes for students who participate in a deliberative dialogue:
- Express appreciation and empathy of another’s perspective on the issue
- Learn something new after hearing and considering another’s viewpoint
- Analyze the issue from multiple perspectives
- Evaluate skills need to participate in deliberation
Explore dialogue topics from NIFI.
Request a Deliberative Dialogue for your class or organization.