Critically analyzing actions before implementation Dear collaborative discussion friends, This week we are highlighting an activity that explores unintended consequences. Often what we consider an unintended consequence could actually have been predicted through...
Dikembe Mutombo was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1966. His original career plan was to become a doctor, but his family encouraged him to explore a career in basketball due to his height. He eventually grew to be 7’2". When Dikembe came to America...
Surrounding the Topic Dear collaborative discussion friends, This week we are highlighting an activity that helps participants consider an issue from multiple dimensions. Participants work together to “surround the topic” and expand how they understand the topic....
Exploring the driving factors behind others’ choices Dear collaborative discussion friends, This week we are highlighting a fun activity that uses fictional characters or historical figures to help participants view an issue from very different perspectives. This...
Khaled Hosseini was born in Afghanistan in 1965. He grew up with a privileged background. When he was growing up, Kabul, Afghanistan was a modern city. His father was a diplomat so Khaled spent time in Tehran and Paris growing up. With the 1980 Soviet Union...
Exploring emotions and their sources Dear collaborative discussion friends, This week we are highlighting an activity that helps participants practice intentional empathy by viewing a situation from someone else’s perspective and diving deeper into what they are...
The Bunner’s Ridge Community Church was a nondenominational church that prided itself in its openness to all people. It had grown rapidly until the COVID pandemic. Although its services were streamed, church participation declined. The debt service on its new...
In this third and final session of our small-group conversation series about The Economy & Democracy in America, participants from around the country gathered online via Zoom to discuss, explore, and develop their visions of how our economic system might better...
Gretchen worked in a factory that produced material used in filters for automobiles, air conditioners, and other items where filters were necessary to trap dust particles. The filters were made by winding a fine filament around a drum to form a mat. While the...
Engaging with diverse perspectives Dear collaborative discussion friends, This week we are highlighting an activity that helps participants move beyond binaries and understand the full spectrum of views on a topic. It helps them explore how the complexity of...
