Institutions
of higher education are prone to conflict due to
misunderstanding, miscommunication and peoples'
inabilities to resolve differences. One organization,
the Public
Conversations Project (PCP), offers services
that can help faculty, staff, administrators and
students constructively resolve conflicts. The mission
of the Public Conversations Project is to "foster
a more inclusive, empathic and collaborative society
by promoting constructive conversations and relationships
among people who have differing values, world views
and perspectives about divisive public issues".
In other words, the organization aims to encourage
constructive conversations that reach across differences.
The
PCP achieves its mission of constructive conversations
by designing and facilitating dialogues. Members
of the organization also train, consult, write and
hold workshops.
In
addition to direct services, the PCP offers resources
on its website. One useful resource is a dialogue
tool box. The toolbox is divided into the following
sections:
Fundamentals
-Premises, Practices, and the Spirit Behind Them
-Distinguishing Debate From Dialogue: A Table
Questions
to Ask Before the Dialogue
-Questions to Ask of Those Who Seek to Convene a
Dialogue
-Talking with Potential Participants About the Conflict
and their Hopes for Dialogue
Designing,
Facilitating, and Following up Dialogues
-A Model for An Introductory Dialogue on Abortion
-Common Phases in an Opening Meeting
-Beginning a Dialogue Session: Go-Rounds and Questions
-Sample Ground Rules (Agreements) for Dialogue
-Self-Help Tools for Participators
-Guidelines for Facilitators
-A Sample Protocol for a Follow-up Interview
Other
Exercises and Questions for Mulling
-The Exercise on Stereotyping
-Moving Beyond Polarization over Abortion: Steps
You Can Take on Your Own
-Thinking about Strains Related to Class Differences
-The Uncertain Path to Dialogue: A Meditation
The
tools are free, although the PCP does require users
to register and provide feedback.
To
find out more about the PCP and its services, visit
http://www.publicconversations.org
or call 617-923-1216.
Page
last updated
11/27/2005
A
project of Campus Conflict Resolution
Resources.
Supported by a FIPSE grant from the US Department of Education
and seed money from the Hewlett Foundation-funded CRInfo
project.
Correspondence
to CMHE Report
(Attn: Bill Warters)
Campus Conflict Resolution Resources Project
Department of Communication
585 Manoogian Hall
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48201.
Please
send comments, bug reports, etc. to the Editor.
© 2000-2005 William C. Warters & WSU,
All rights reserved.
