Open for Discussion

Community conversations centered on the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence provide opportunities for Idahoans to reflect and share their perspectives about this anniversary. Continuing to discuss the ideas represented in the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution are an important part of honoring the generations who have sacrificed to preserve these values.

The hardest part of Open for Discussion: 250^th Edition is getting started and being clear about the goals of your conversation. As you consider the different topics, themes, and objectives, remember that you will be hosting these conversations with members of your community from different backgrounds. We suggest you start with a question that connects to the themes and feels especially relevant to your community’s history.

The planning guide below can support you in this process:

Reflect

• What is your own reaction to hearing the term, “A More Perfect Union?” How might this be relevant to your community or organization?
• What topics within this theme do you think people in your community will be most interested in discussing?
• What topics might be unfamiliar or challenging to discuss with your community?
• Are there opportunities to intersect or amplify programming you’re already doing with this theme?
• What challenges do you foresee with hosting a conversation?
• What does success look like for your organization as you bring people together in conversation?

Identify

Guiding Question – compose a guiding question that synthesizes your above reflections and feels measurable. What do you hope that participants will be able to explore in conversation?

Potential Partners- What other organizations may help you explore your guiding questions? Who will facilitate the conversation?

Metrics for Success – How will you measure progress towards your goals? How do these align with your organization’s mission and goals?

Open for Discussion is designed so that you can facilitate conversations on your own.  However, if you prefer, the IHC has a team of trained facilitators that you can hire to facilitate the conversation for your community. Contact Camille at camille@idahohumanities.org for more information.

If you want to facilitate a community conversation on your own, here are some tips for facilitating community conversations on your own:

1. Focus on engaging the participants in the discussion. Facilitators do not serve as lecturers and should refrain from providing their perspectives.
2. Limit the conversations to 25 people per facilitator to allow everyone a chance to speak multiple times during the conversation.
3. Arrange the chairs in a circle so everyone can participate and engage.
4. Use people’s names and encourage participants to do the same to personalize the conversation.
5. Set a relaxed and open tone. Most people feel relaxed when they know what to expect, so prepare participants. It’s important to also acknowledge that you understand people participate in a variety of ways; some people are more shy, they are active listeners or feel less comfortable speaking in a group.
6. Get people talking by asking an opening question. Ask questions that encourage multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
7. Structure the conversation in different ways to encourage participants to talk. Do activities in pairs or small groups throughout the conversation to create a sense of connection and openness.
8. Select 2-4 objects to ground the conversation. These include photos, historical documents, short texts, essays, articles, speeches, and other media to anchor the conversation. Texts should be accessible in their format and invite multiple interpretations from participants. IHC recommends using only 2-3 objects per conversation but having a couple of additional on-hand based on your goals. Objects focus the conversation on a topic with multiple perspectives and can help redirect or liven the discussion if needed.
9. Encourage participants to ask each other questions, not just the facilitator.
10. Anticipate challenges and find ways to address them through dialogue. For example:
    1. Ask for clarification, “Can we dig into this a little bit more?”
    2. Ask for input from the group, “Can someone help me understand what ______ is saying?” or “Does someone want to add any thoughts?” or “Does anyone have a different perspective?”
    3. Call out the tension, “I noticed that after you said ______ it got quiet.”

For assistance, please contact Program Officer Camille Daw at camille@idahohumanities.org.