The Frenemies Project, The Civility Project, Frenemies Day:
We have been conducting this work for a few years under multiple banners but always with the mission to:
“Help communities have more civil discourse as they seek to repair and maintain relationships, deliberate around policy challenges, and find ways to healthily coexist.”
Good conversations are multidimensional in nature. Conversation Cubed is an opportunity to hone your skills in effective communication. We will explore the use of data, relationship with power, and importance of emotions, intuition, and lived experience in dialogue. Conversation Cubed provides a forum for the exploration of issues that matter.
Light refreshments will be provided.
We would love to see you there!
We encourage you to check out our new, web-based Civil Discourse 101 program.
Otherwise, please stay tuned for more information on upcoming events and opportunities for engagement!
What do we do?
The #CivilityVT initiative (or Civility Project at Virginia Tech) is exploring ways in which facilitated dialogue among individuals that hold strong opposing positions can foster mutual understanding, increase empathy, and ultimately support healthier deliberations as communities seek to make decisions around important policy questions. We are particularly focused on the use of active listening techniques to facilitate civil discourse.
While civil discourse rarely changes participants’ interests, values, or priorities, our work suggests that it can foster mutual understanding and lead to ‘small wins’ on policy questions that matter to us.
We continue to build upon the legacy of this project with ongoing training and events for the Virginia Tech community and beyond. Our virtual and in-person sessions facilitate engaging yet safe environments for people to participate in authentic, meaningful, and civil discourse.
We have help.
The Civility Project has received generous support from VT’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) through a SEAD Major grant, Division of Student Affairs, and School of Public and International Affairs.