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The National Campaign for Civic Discourse
"Fathers send their sons to college either because they went to college or because they didn't." L. L. Henderson
THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR CIVIC DISCOURSE
In these times of conflict and unprecedented violence, too many of our citizens feel left out of the political discourse, fail to find their voice, or worse turn their backs on the democratic process. How many conflicts will we fail to stop and how many solutions will become lost in bureaucracy if we fail to engage in effective discourse? NYU President John Sexton warns that “We have lost the ability in our public discourse to speak to one another in a way that moves ideas forward—that can result in enlightenment—or at least reflection—and that ends in disagreement without rancor…Informed discussion of issues of importance is a basic premise of democracy…” For these reasons, the Associated Leaders of Urban Debate is launching a National Campaign for Civic Discourse.
Anchored by John Sexton, the National Campaign for Civic Discourse brings together organizations, corporations, foundations, school systems and individuals working to spur civic engagement, public debate, and reasoned discourse in our schools, religious institutions and in the larger society. Initially, the Campaign will focus on student involvement in schools and communities. A recent study noted that 89% of people between the ages of 15-25 are totally uninvolved in electoral or civic activities. Communication is a powerful antidote to violence and apathy. Sarah Pearson of the American Youth Policy Forum notes “If we want safe and stable communities and caring and responsible neighbors for tomorrow, we’ve got to plan today to provide opportunities to combine academics with civic involvement...”
The Campaign will herald a new generation of responsible citizens anxious to join in discussing and debating the issues of the day. Already, the Campaign has developed partnerships with outstanding programs in cities across the country including Seattle, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Louisville, Miami and Providence. In every place, there are those who recognize that without discourse, we lose the essence of education and democracy: the power of free expression.
Join the campaign and help transform America’s conversation.
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Sexton Calls for Return to Civic Discourse
Conversation Matter - http://www.conversation-matters.com/products.html
Conversation Cafe - http://www.conversationcafe.org
(excerpted from Do talk to strangers at Conversation CafésThink globally. Talk locally. by Vicki Robbins)
In 2001, a group in Seattle created a mid-winter festival of conversation called Conversation Week with a gala celebrity launch event and at least two cafes per day.
If people are going to sit down at a table with strangers, there has to be a host, someone who is warm, welcoming and gets the ball rolling. Hosts don't have to have facilitation skills they just have to run the process, watch for drift outside the agreements and end on time. A Conversation Cafe is like a dinner party where the host just wants the guests to all enjoy themselves. At host trainings, friends and professionals learned simple techniques. Other dialogue, communication, facilitation and mediation groups were asked to co-sponsor the event. They were offered free publicity through the café website if they would do outreach to their members and provide two hosts.
The group also partnered with several similar initiatives nationwide - The World Café, The Commons Café and The Public Conversations Project - that all had January 2002 events around the theme of 911. The underlying principles of all these initiatives were listed under The Café Collaborative. Since Conversation Week, the cafés are serving primarily as places where people of diverse views can reflect philosophically, politically and personally with others on the times we are living through. They are places to make meaning with other thoughtful citizens. From 24 cafés during Conversation Week, the concept has expanded in North America to 70 individual and unique cafés.
This is our message to America’s urban students:
Your Voice. Your Future. Debate.