The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice Manual

Appendix 3.5
COMMON GROUND DIALOGUE WORKSHOP
6 hour Schedule
9:00-9:15: Check-in, coffee, and snack.
9:15-9:30: Welcome, Introduction, and Opening Remarks.
• Who are we and why are we here?
9:30-10:00: Full Group Session.
• What is the "common ground approach?"
• What do we believe? Complete the Common Ground Opinion Survey.
10:00-11:30: Small Group Dialogues: Pro-choice and Pro-life participants with facilitator.
• What are the personal experiences that brought you to your current views
on abortion?
11:30-11:45: BREAK
11:45-12:15: Full Group Session: Discussion, sharing by small groups.
• What were the important and/or surprising insights in your small groups?
• How did the dialogue go?
12:15-1:00: LUNCH. This is not a "working lunch" but a time to take
a break and relax.
1:00-1:30: Full Group Session: Discussion.
• What information did we get from the Opinion Survey?
1:30-3:00: Small Group Dialogues: The same groups that met in the morning reconvene.
• Probing more deeply the beliefs we have around the issue of abortion.
• What is the best that could come out of common ground?
3:00-3:15: BREAK.
3:15-4:00: Full Group Session: Closing Reflections.
• What is in the "common ground, the area of overlap?
• What is the best that could come out of common ground? Next steps.
• What are the risks of "reentry?”
• How have we experienced this day? Share metaphors/impressions.
• Workshop evaluation.