Deliberative Citizenship Initiative

Building Democracy One Conversation at a Time

Events

DCI Offers Deliberation Facilitator Training!

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Want to learn how to have productive, meaningful conversations about difficult topics and help others to do the same? The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative is excited to host a two-part Deliberation Facilitator Training to help participants learn specific deliberation and facilitation skills. It is open to all Davidson students, faculty, staff, and members of the wider community.

The training will take place at Davidson College on Sept. 11th and Sept. 17th from 1:30 to 5:30 pm, and both sessions are required for completion of the program. Upon completion of the program, participants will be certified DCI Facilitators and eligible to facilitate DCI deliberations (and be paid for doing so).

This hands-on, interactive workshop will train participants in techniques that will improve their ability to facilitate difficult discussions about political and social issues among people who may have very different backgrounds, values, and opinions. Although such facilitation can be challenging, it is increasingly needed in a world that is facing a host of immense challenges that require people to come together to solve issues collaboratively. Well-trained facilitators can help us honestly, respectively, and productively engage with these challenges and seek out innovative solutions.

This 8-hour training, spread across 2 days, will equip participants with skills and knowledge to:

  • Facilitate difficult discussions
  • Organize and host deliberations
  • Encourage deliberative dispositions and humane instincts
  • Build community through productive discourse

This free training opportunity will take place in-person at Davidson College, but a limited number of off-site individuals may participate virtually. Given the limited space, please only sign up if you are able to attend both sessions. Learn more about this program on the DCI website and in the information flyer below, and please register here by Sept. 6th!

Deliberation Facilitator Training Poster

 

DCI Fellows Present Poster at Annual Symposium

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Verna Miller Case DCI 2022 Poster

-By Carla Cole, DCI Coordinator

The Verna Miller Case Research & Creative Works Symposium, which showcases outstanding student achievement, was held April 30, 2022. DCI Fellows Kevin Garcia-Galindo and Ben Kellogg were among the more than 700 students who participated in the lively mix of research presentations, performances and displays at the college’s annual Symposium. They presented a poster highlighting the programs and events of the DCI.

The symposium offers a window into the offerings of a college that stresses a broad liberal arts education. It is named for the Beverly F. Dolan Professor Emerita of Biology, founding director of the John Crosland Jr. Center for Teaching and Learning and Davidson’s first associate dean of faculty, Verna Miller Case, who retired from Davidson in 2019.

Public Lecture: Democracy and Freedom of Expression … Revitalizing Public Discourse on Campus and Beyond

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By Carla Cole, DCI Coordinator

The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative and Davidson College Writing Program are sponsoring a public lecture featuring Leila Brammer, Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse at the University of Chicago on March 22, 2022 at 7:30 pm. Guests may register here to attend the lecture in person at the 900 Room in the Alvarez College Union (capacity is limited) or via Zoom.

In her remarks, Dr. Brammer will address how freedom of expression in academic and civic environments recognizes the centrality of multiple perspectives, differences, and disagreements to test and develop the best thinking to address collective challenges. Public discourse today is often critiqued for divisiveness that fails to reflect these foundational practices and leaves many unwilling to enter into essential conversations that should animate a healthy democracy. Dr. Brammer will explore how the lens of discourse theory exposes the limits of our current modes of discourse and suggests important ways to reimagine and transform how we engage with one another on campuses and in our communities.

Following the lecture, guests are welcomed to ask questions.

This lecture is part of Davidson College’s “Freedom of Expression Week 2022: Speak. Listen. Learn. Do.”

Leila Brammer is the Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse at the University of Chicago. Rooted in the Chicago Principles of Freedom of Expression, the Parrhesia Program curricula, programming, and outreach seek to foster the capacity for vigorous, inclusive, and productive discourse in the classroom, campus, and civic life. Building on the history and theory of freedom of expression and rhetoric, the curriculum and programming promote and model academic and civic practices of dialogue, deliberation, and advocacy. Outreach efforts include workshops and seminars for college/university and high school faculty and students to explore and embed both the principles and practices of open discourse in curricula, campus life, and surrounding communities.

Previously, Dr. Brammer developed a civic engagement curriculum and public deliberation and dialogue program at Gustavus Adolphus College that were recognized nationally by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the National Communication Association. In her work in public deliberation and dialogue, Dr. Brammer builds and facilitates frameworks in which community members come to understand problems from multiple perspectives and work together to develop evidence-based approaches to address challenging civic issues.

Economic Mobility: How Can the American Dream Be More Achievable for Everyone?

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By Carla Cole, DCI Coordinator

Davidson’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, Davidson’s Center for Civic Engagement, and the North Mecklenburg Economic Mobility Collaborative invite you to attend an online deliberative forum February 15th from 7 to 9 pm. The forum will begin with a talk from three expert panelists followed by small breakout group facilitated deliberations. Panelists represent a variety of perspectives and include Sheri Chisolm, Executive Director of Leading on Opportunity, Kieth Cockrell, President of Bank of America Charlotte, and Patrick Garry, author and Professor at the University of South Dakota’s School of Law and Director of the Hagemann Center for Legal & Public Policy Research.

Nationally, people across the United States are beginning to question the concept of the American dream as income inequality rises, poverty deepens, and access to education and healthcare opportunities appear unequally distributed.  If the American dream does exist, how might we begin to understand this abstract concept? In our everyday lives, how do we define this idea of economic mobility, and what different ideas have been proposed to make it more achievable for everyone? This forum will address the challenges of economic mobility and possible strategies for making the American dream more accessible to everyone.

The forum will enable participants to explore important questions, learn from experts, listen to the perspectives of others, and share ideas about economic mobility. We request that all registrants plan to attend both the panel and small group discussions, as they are designed to complement one another.

Due to the limited number of DCI trained facilitators, registration is limited, so please sign up today! This event is free and open to the public.

DCI Hosts Free Speech and Inclusion Forum

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By Carla Cole, DCI Coordinator

On November 4, 2021, the DCI hosted a deliberative forum entitled, “Free Speech and Inclusion: Are they in conflict or are they complementary? How should they be effectively supported on college campuses?” The forum began with three expert panelists who discussed the tensions between free speech and inclusion, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dan Layman, associate professor of philosophy at Davidson College. Graham Bullock, associate professor of political science and DCI faculty advisor for the DCI at Davidson College introduced the panel, which included Keith Whittington of Princeton University, Pareena Lawrence of Yale University, and Susan Brison of Princeton University.

The panelists discussed topics such as speaker invitations and the importance of the intent behind them. Professor Whittington suggested that serious scholars who have views that some view as exclusionary ought to have a place to express their views on college campuses, and Professors Brison and Lawrence agreed, adding that timing and context matter. The panelists also agreed that regardless of whom extends an invitation, everyone should thoroughly consider the purpose and impact of the event. The panelists also discussed the tensions between free speech and inclusion, concurring that in at least some cases, conflicts do exist. Each of the panelists spoke about the importance of colleges and universities articulating their mission and considering potential controversies before they arise.

After the panel discussion, participants broke into small groups for deliberations led by DCI trained facilitators. Participants discussed whether free speech and inclusion are in conflict or complimentary, the role college administrators should play in fostering cultures of free speech and inclusion, and how they should be supported simultaneously. Participants also discussed concerns surrounding hate speech, trigger warnings, micro-aggressions, cancel culture, and offensive speech. With over 100 participants, the forum provided an opportunity for diverse perspectives to be presented in engaging, productive dialogues. Participants reported that the forum and subsequent deliberations provided them with a better understanding of free speech and inclusion and the challenges they present.

You may view the panel discussion here.