Among the chronic social conditions that have been brought into sharp relief during the COVID-19 pandemic is that of income inequality. The intersections of poverty, food insecurity, access to health care, and a range of other types of human needs have a bright...
It would probably surprise few that the tone of climate change discussions has changed considerably over the years. I have been involved as facilitator, participant, or observer in over fifty such discussions over the last fifteen years. Early on I (and many...
I know I’m not the only one who’s experienced a surge in online activity as scores of in-person meetings have been canceled or delayed because of social distancing requirements. Some are happy to not spend those hours in airports, conference centers, or behind the...
It has been fairly common for discussions of gun safety and gun violence to take place in the wake of horrible tragedies. For years the opponents of greater gun regulation (at least the mobilized portions of the pro-gun lobby) would respond to calls societal...
IF’s Democratic Promise guidebook has been discussed a number of times since its initial publication. Interest in the subject seems to somewhat track the election cycle and concerns about election process and practice features that are seen as shaping election...
2018 Democracy Discussions IF’s Democratic Promise guidebook has been discussed a number of times since its initial publication. Interest in the subject seems to somewhat track the election cycle and concerns about election process and practice features that are...
A colleague asked me if I might be interested in participating in the April 2018 national Week of Conversation and might I also be interested in organizing a “gun discussion”? It seemed natural enough to respond affirmatively to the first question, but I had a...
One of the most interesting parts of my involvement in the University of Wisconsin Extension’s ThinkWater School has been the opportunity to observe the workings of a system’s engineering approach that accounts for the need for conceptual thinking as a...
The National Dialogue Network has given preliminary approval for a $5000 grant to the Interactivity Foundation for the purposes of improving its public discussion tools and integrating them into a national database of public engagement outcomes. Long time NCDD...
It is often the case that public interest in IF discussion guidebooks waxes and wanes based on current events and media focus. So it probably should not come as any surprise that there has been a spike in website visits, downloads, and social media traffic...