How should we engage in meaningful, productive disagreement, discussion, and problem-solving with others, especially when the issue at hand is highly contentious and politicized? This is the fundamental question the DCI has been working to answer, and we believe there is a way to do it well. We can disagree respectfully, we can discover the truth in spite of—and indeed, because of—our differences, and we can solve pressing issues democratically using the tools of deliberative democracy.
Deliberation, as we see it at the DCI, is a method of discussion that enables citizens—broadly construed so as not to limit this notion to persons with one particular legal status—to state their views and the presuppositions behind them, reconstruct the arguments for their positions, and to make progress toward solutions to problems where there is entrenched disagreement.
Although this can sometimes happen organically in conversation or in the political sphere, the DCI came about in part because this is so difficult to achieve. After all, we cannot claim to be immune from falling into echo chambers, falling prey to motivated reasoning, relying on fallacious reasoning, or even from failing to be able to articulate the main reasons for the views we hold in the face of criticism from another.
On the other hand, we can also be so uncomfortable in the face of disagreement that we would rather not engage—and we either decide to simply agree to disagree or to shut each other out. But living together requires making decisions together and coming to a shared understanding of difficult problems, at least to some extent.
Our experience, and the experienc of similar programs around the world, has found that well-trained and intentional facilitators can help participants overcome these obstacles and engage in meaningful and productive deliberation, even when they disagree deeply. This is why the DCI is hosting its fifth Deliberation Facilitator Training Program this year. The training will take place over two sessions from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, one on Sunday, Sept. 10th and the other on Saturday, Sept. 16th. The sessions complement each other are required components of the training. Virtual and in-person options are available, but space is limited so sign up soon if you are interested.
his hands-on and interactive program enables participants to lead deliberation sessions in their community, with colleagues, with their families, or in their classrooms, and to facilitate DCI-hosted forums on matters of public interest. The DCI supports facilitators with learning materials we send out before the training days, and participants get a chance to practice facilitating a mock deliberation.
Do you feel your community, your family, your students, or your colleagues would benefit from deliberating about an issue with the help of a trained facilitator? Learn more and sign up here by Tuesday, Sept. 5th!
