The DCI sponsors regular Deliberative Forums to enable productive one-time small group discussions of difficult issues among students, faculty, staff, and community members.
The Forums are designed to be inclusive and engaging. They introduce participants to the basic dispositions and skills of deliberation, and include discussions of common values and interests as well as areas of disagreement. They explore deep-rooted social, economic, and political challenges as well as engage with innovative policy and structural reform ideas. Some Forums also begin with panels of experts who provide diverse perspectives on the issue at hand for participants to consider before they deliberate on the topic themselves in small breakout groups.
As opportunities for meaningful engagement with those holding different perspectives than our own, these Deliberative Forums are intended to foster active listening, sincere expression, and creative thinking about issues that are often viewed as intractable. They are co-sponsored in partnership with both groups and organizations on and off campus, and are facilitated by Deliberative Facilitators who have completed training workshops hosted by the DCI.
Below are some examples of the forums the DCI has hosted (they are also listed on our Past Events page):
Deliberative Forum on the Challenge for Democracy
Deliberative Forum on Social Media
Deliberative Forum on Parents and Schools