Civil discourse entails discussing matters of public importance that promote acquiring knowledge and building a culture founded on respect. Community, state, or country members can engage in civil discourse regarding many matters. The matters can range from politics and law to the economy. However, there is a catch. You need a professional on board to address the topic you are discussing and foster in-depth understanding. For lawyers, having a discourse on contractual disputes, asbestos liability cases, and patent disputes will lead to proper mechanisms to help resolve such conflicts. But how do you engage in civil discourse? Here is a guide that will enable you to have a proper way of deliberating on public matters.
Create Spaces For Civil Discourse
People will need a proper location or space to talk about matters of public concern. Social amenities such as town or social halls will provide spaces whereby people can sit down and discuss issues raised in the community or state. Such spaces should be conducive to ensure proper deliberation of matters without any interruptions caused by pollution. Besides, the social hall should be spacious enough to accommodate all the stakeholders in the civil discourse. That means no kind of venue will be suitable for holding meetings. Proper assessment of the rooms or available spaces is needed to ensure that the right location plays host to the upcoming community meeting to discuss matters of social importance.
With the advancement of technology, it is now possible to have civil discourse online. Various platforms, such as Zoom, provide an opportunity to hold virtual meetings that make it easier to share and exchange ideas online regardless of location.
Have An Agenda
Any meeting needs to have an agenda. It helps prevent any form of disorganization that might accrue from discussing issues of less importance. The meeting conveners should have a list of matters to discuss for the upcoming civil discourse. Those agendas will give the meeting a sense of perspective and importance. The agenda can be on politics, the economy, or the welfare of the community. Those issues that form the agenda should be important or affect individuals who will be part and parcel of the meeting.
Once the agenda has been set, there should be no deviation from those topics. Focus should be directed on ensuring every matter raised is discussed thoroughly. That will help in saving time and ensuring any agenda is exhausted to the best of the ability of those members involved.
Set Boundaries
It is not always guaranteed that the meeting or civil discourse will be smooth and the agenda successfully demystified. There are possibilities of conflicts. That is why it is important to set boundaries from the onset. Matters considered off-topic should be avoided, like the plague. The meeting conveners should spell out all those issues that are off-limits from the beginning of the meeting. This is essential in preventing some people from feeling disrespected or targeted by words or statements spewed by others. So, the meeting should be one that highly regards decorum.
Encourage Dialogue
Every member participating in the meeting should be allowed to share their views. It should be like a consensus whereby no member feels inferior. This will ensure that all ideas are heard and incorporated into the final deliberation of matters. Nobody should be prevented from sharing their mind on the topics being deliberated upon. This is likely to prevent some ideas from seeing the light of day, yet they would have been essential in shaping the civil discourse at hand. Even in mediation or arbitration, both parties in a conflict have a chance to tell their stories. It enforces fairness and prevents escalation of a conflict.
Conclusion
Civil discourse does help in deliberating on matters of public concern. It leads to deliberations that contribute to proper decision-making in a community or country. However, following the guide discussed here, it has to be organized systematically to ensure a seamless meeting. Professionals in various topics that align with the set agenda should be brought on board. They will offer knowledge and foster understanding of issues critical to the community. However, that should not lock other members from sharing their views in meetings. It should be an open dialogue that is founded on respect and decorum.
