The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice Manual

language, insuring understanding between the parties, and exhibiting fairness. Neither mediation
that seeks movement towards a negotiated settlement, nor facilitation designed for planning and
decision-making typically makes these demands to the same degree.
The Appendices at the end of this chapter contain more detailed guidelines for
facilitation, including specific direction for leading dialogue sessions. The following provides an
overview and background for these materials.
Summary of the Facilitation Role
The facilitator is present to make sure that, to the degree possible, participants have the
conversation they have come to experience. To that end, the dialogue facilitator has to pledge to
the following:
• To be solely committed to the process, allowing the group to focus on the substantive
conversation. This means staying out of the substantive dialogue and not injecting an
outcome the facilitator thinks is desirable, or information the facilitator believes would
resolve a factual dispute or “correct” a party. In a dialogue, the “experts” on the abortion
issue are the participants, not the facilitator. If something needs to be learned, the
participants must decide how to get that information or resolve the factual disagreement.
Any foray by the facilitator into the substance of the conversation is reckless given the
sensitivity of participants about bias or cooptation.
• To take an elicitive stance so that, to the extent feasible, the learnings, insights and questions
come from the participants. This does not mean that a facilitator never offers an insight or
reflection of what he or she is hearing from the group, but in our experience this should only
happen when the point is too important to be lost, the participants have had the first chance,
and the facilitator offers his or her input as a hypothesis with which the participants can agree
or disagree. (E.g, “My perception is that everyone here is upset with how children are
treated in this society. Are you hearing that, too?”)
• To be absolutely fair. To avoid a perception of bias, a facilitator has to play a neutral role.
This does not mean having no position on abortion; it means keeping that position out of the
room while you function as a facilitator. This requires that, in advance, a person considering
a facilitation role reflect honestly on whether he or she can be even-handed, calm and use
balanced language (i.e., can avoid using the labels the sides use for their opponents, like antichoice
or pro-abortion) in a discussion relating to abortion. During the dialogue not only
language but also gestures and non-verbal communication are important. Everyone has
issues they should not facilitate
• To be compassionate and empathetic. This stance puts participants at ease and models the
attitude you hope to elicit from everyone. A facilitator’s sensitivity can really help
participants who start out suspicious or fearful.