Building Democratic Skills Through Deliberative Dialogue

In the face of ever-increasing polarization and divisiveness, there is a great need and desire for an effective, accessible, and inclusive tool for diverse people to engage across difference in pursuit of common ground for action on major social issues. A Deliberative Dialogue Forum brings people together in a small gathering to deliberate about challenging public issues. The process is guided by a neutral moderator and a discussion guide that presents multiple approaches to addressing the problem. Deliberative Dialogue provides an effective framework for mutual understanding and a common purpose that allows people to discuss difficult issues, weigh options, and…