The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice Manual

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viewpoints. It is also advisable to have a gender mix, and to match strong activists with counterparts on the other side. Couples and best friends (if known) should usually be split up. • Organizers know the size of the group to plan space, refreshments, materials and facilitator/s. Appendix 3.3 is a sample letter of invitation and the registration form for a workshop. These are adaptable to other meeting formats. Whether or not the registration form is the method used (telephone RSVP’s might work for a small group coming to a short meeting), individuals need to indicate which side of the issue they are on (or where they are on a continuum), and sign an agreement to observe the ground rules. Covering Costs Potential expenses to be incurred include meeting space rental, food, and postage. Getting these donated is obviously the best. Finding free space can take some work, but examples from our experience include college classrooms, public community centers, office conference rooms, community organizations (Council of Churches, YWCA), churches, library meeting rooms and mediation centers. As an alternative to purchasing snacks or lunch for participants, food can be volunteered by organizers, or, for a day-long workshop, lunch can be “brown bag” (i.e. participants are advised to bring their own.) In our experience, local culture usually dictates how food is handled. At minimum, beverages should be provided at longer workshops. As indicated in the previous chapter, workshop facilitators can frequently be obtained on a volunteer basis, but their expenses may need to be covered or, if they are associated with a mediation center, a modest fee may be required. One way to raise money is a modest registration fee ($10.00.) Donations can also be sought. Some groups have obtained modest funds from local foundations. A Basic Dialogue Workshop The remainder of this chapter will present the Network’s model for a Basic
Dialogue Workshop. Based on experience we recommend that, even when groups meet more informally and for shorter time spans rather than holding a workshop, the group incorporate the basic elements of the workshop into their meetings. In other words, it may take several meetings over a period of months, but the group should open with a presentation of the concepts of common ground, and begin its dialogue with the sharing of personal stories, which is the first small group discussion in a workshop. After that, there should be the opportunity for asking probing questions, and examining stereotypes. The term “basic” means that this dialogue model is intended for people who have not been through an intensive dialogue process. They may be completely new to the experience, or they may have had less structured meetings or ones focused primarily on organizing issues or action plans. There are instances where people in a hurry to talk about joint action or shared agendas recognize the need for scheduling a dialogue in which they and their colleagues can learn more about one another and the abortion issue by getting to some foundational issues and questions. Once people have been through this specific workshop process they are ready to take the dialogue into other explorations. Being rooted in the purposes and skills for searching for common ground, they can incorporate useful elements of the dialogue model into their further conversations. This design has been used often, and in different settings and found by both participants and facilitators to be very effective. However, while it is a model, it should not be viewed as a straight jacket. The morning question is basic to the dialogue approach and should not be skipped. But a planning group may identify good reasons for making other changes in such things as the time frame (e.g. different starting and ending times) or the discussion topic/activity for the second small group session. In a later discussion, examples and options are discussed. Materials
Page 1 and 2: The Common Ground Network for Life
Page 3 and 4: Common Ground Concepts Appendix 1.1
Page 5 and 6: over abortion. The Network came int
Page 7 and 8: together out of a mutual commitment
Page 9: About the Authors Mary Jacksteit wa
Page 12 and 13: others are “wrong.” Debate tend
Page 14 and 15: other people with the same label, d
Page 16 and 17: etween people related to one anothe
Page 18 and 19: Appendix 1.1 THE COMMON GROUND DIAL
Page 20 and 21: • Dialogue questions, not “topi
Page 22 and 23: Appendix 1.3 The Search for Common
Page 25 and 26: CHAPTER TWO: GETTING STARTED People
Page 27 and 28: eferred interested people to the lo
Page 29 and 30: 4. Offer and accept views without a
Page 31 and 32: CHAPTER THREE: PLANNING FOR DIALOGU
Page 33: Another type of workshop might have
Page 37 and 38: hour training session for workshop
Page 39 and 40: First Small Group Dialogue After th
Page 41 and 42: may be particularly concerned that
Page 43 and 44: Appendix 3.1 WORKSHOP PLANNING MEET
Page 45 and 46: Appendix 3.2 Dialogue Workshop Mate
Page 47: 9:00 am Check-in, Welcome, Large gr
Page 51 and 52: Appendix 3.4 Sample letter to small
Page 53 and 54: Appendix 3.6 COMMON GROUND DIALOGUE
Page 55 and 56: Session Time: 30 minutes.
Page 57 and 58: (5 meaning strongest agreement and
Page 59 and 60: COMPARISON OPINION SURVEY If you ar
Page 61 and 62: 5 4 3 2 1 (5 meaning strongest agre
Page 63 and 64: Appendix 3.9 OPINION SURVEY RESULTS
Page 65 and 66: Appendix 3.10 Exploring Stereotypes
Page 67: COMMON GROUND WORKSHOP Evaluation Q
Page 70 and 71: language, insuring understanding be
Page 72 and 73: address another aspect of structuri
Page 74 and 75: also to: (1) find out how others fe
Page 76 and 77: The dialogue design presented in th
Page 78 and 79: f) Encouraging people to use "I" me
Page 80 and 81: 12:15-1:00: LUNCH. This is not a "w
Page 82 and 83: [5 min] -Communicate care for the s
Page 84 and 85:
someone has said earlier. It might
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Appendix 4.4 WORKSHOP FACILITATOR T
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the Part A or Part B sheets. Partic
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3) How can you not care that poor w
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1) We [Feminists for Life] think we
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CHAPTER FIVE: “WHAT NEXT?” Freq
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dialogues: • Reducing the rate of
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direct involvement with teen pregna
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very happy to find a fresh and posi
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• Periodically sponsoring a day-l
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leaders in the nearby town of Amher
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• Working together to remove the
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Cohen and another group member to j
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Appendix 5.4 A Structured Community
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to the prevention of teen pregnancy
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Before starting, tell the group tha
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Structuring an email dialogue Organ
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it is important to stress the signi
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listserve and, possibly, the facili
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would be attending at their own exp
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impartial. To the extent possible,
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Engaging one's adversaries in a pos
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Appendix 6.1 On-Line Dialogue Dear
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Time frame. In order to give the gr
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CHAPTER SEVEN: ADAPTING THE DIALOGU
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undermine the genuineness of the di
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Discussion in small groups follows
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Afternoon Small Group Session [This
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Appendix 7.1 A Day of Dialogue on G
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otherwise. Another problem is that
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Appendix 8.1 COMMON GROUND CONFEREN
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ealize," agrees Frederica Mathewes-
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CHAPTER NINE: RESOURCES There are c
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PO Box 203, 697 Pomfret St. Pomfret
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The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice Manual

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