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			Constructive Conversations about Challenging Times A Guide to Political Dialogue Version 4.0 To download the Guide as a PDF, please click here. Why We Developed This Guide The first edition of this Guide was written after September 11, 2001.We have developed this edition in response to the US 2004 elections, which many feel left us too polarized for our own good and the good of the world. This Guide is for people who want to have more constructive conversations about divisive issues and challenging current events-especially conversations with people who think very differently than they do about the nature of the problems we face, where we should go from here, and what kind of leadership we need to get there. This Guide contains nitty-gritty learnings from PCP's experience conducting dialogues among people involved in conflicts rooted in radically different values and worldviews. It includes step-by-step instructions for a two-hour structured dialogue. It also suggests ways to plan and conduct briefer or less formal conversations. This resource can be adapted to other challenging or divisive issues by inserting different questions. Most of its content should be transferable to other countries. We hope that international readers will let US-centric content or omissions stimulate alternatives more suited to their situation. Please check our website (www.publicconversations.org) for additional resources, including stories of people who have used earlier editions of the Guide. They may expand your sense of options and possible challenges. If you conduct a dialogue that draws on these pages, we hope you will let us know how it goes, what you found helpful, and how this Guide can be improved. You can reach us at info@publicconversations.org. Your feedback will improve the next edition. We dedicate these pages to those who seek to make or maintain human connections strong enough to embrace conflicting, even irreconcilable, worldviews, fear, confusion, anger-and, ultimately, hope. What We Mean by "Dialogue" "Dialogue" has different meanings for different people. For the Public Conversations Project (PCP), a dialogue is any conversation in which participants search for understanding rather than for agreements or solutions. (Appendix A presents a table that clearly distinguishes dialogue from polarized debate.) A good dialogue offers those who participate the opportunity to: listen and be listened to so that all speakers can be heard; speak and be spoken to in a respectful manner; develop or deepen mutual understanding; and learn about the perspectives of others and reflect on one's own views. Participants in PCP-style dialogues usually agree to follow communication guidelines that support these purposes. In our experience, the more fundamental and passionate the differences among those involved, the more important it is to clearly articulate and commit to such agreements and to have a group leader or facilitator present who can remind participants to observe them. Who This Guide is Intended to Serve We developed this Guide to encourage group leaders and facilitators of all levels of experience-including novices-to bring people into dialogue. It can be used with any group of people that is drawn to its purposes and willing to adopt communication agreements. Some examples of community groups we have in mind are: a group of neighbors, friends, or colleagues; a civic group like the League of Women Voters or the Lions Club; a group from a church, temple, or mosque-an ad hoc group or a working group like a parish council or a board; an interfaith group that is already established or that you convene; a group of teachers who want to explore their own views and feelings with other adults; or a women's group, men's group, book group, or any other group that meets regularly. It also can be used with a group of family members. Our website (www.publicconversations.org) offers a version of these materials customized for use with families and other loved ones. Different Ways to Use This Guide If you want to facilitate a structured dialogue, you can use what we will refer to as the "Plan" presented in Section 3 "as is." You also can also use the Plan simply as a source of ideas for a dialogue you design yourself. You also might bring some elements of the plan into spontaneous and informal conversations with family and friends. To decide you want to use this Guide, we suggest you begin by glancing over the detailed Plan for a two-hour dialogue presented in Section 3. This should give you a sense of one way to design a carefully constructed dialogue. Then, we recommend you read through the Q&A's in Section 2 which contain suggestions for planning and facilitating a community dialogue. After this you can return to Section 3 and modify the Plan to suit your group or to focus on a different topic. To make your modification process easier, we provide a Microsoft Word version of the Plan on our website: www.publicconversations.org/Pages/commsecs. If you decide to vary the Plan format and/or its topic, we encourage you to pay special attention to the following points: the spirit and clarity of the invitation and orientation; the critical importance of explicit group agreements to support the conversation; the formats for reflecting, speaking, and listening; the purpose of each segment of the dialogue; the way questions are crafted to serve those purposes; and the spirit and purposes of a facilitator's interventions. To download the full PDF version of the Guide please click here. Return to Bridging the US Political Divide. Return to Bridging the US Political Divide Resources Page
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