Abstract

Effective dialogue is critical in examining the aspects of diversity in a global world and globalized society. Unlike debate, dialogue is a conversation in which people think together in a relationship. Based upon the work of William Isaacs, thinking together involves relaxing the grip on certainty and listening to the possibilities that result from being in relationship with others. Our work stems from the development of international literature circle dialogue with school children as we witnessed first hand the “diversity dialogue”. This work has also allowed us to experience “knowing” childhood from a global perspective. Building upon our facilitation of children’s international dialogue and as well as our work with facilitating dialogues of peace with adult populations, we believe that dialogic experiences rich with diversity can be a powerful tool in exposing our collective intelligence. This workshop will present tools and strategies for framing and witnessing dialogue as a foundation for the realization of this shared wisdom.