Amidst divisive political conversations, differing ideologies and a need for greater community engagement, how can we bridge the divide to have inclusive and civil community conversations?

CMF, in partnership with Independent Sector and The Fetzer Institute, a CMF member, coordinated with local partners in five Michigan communities in 2017 to pilot a dinner circle model to explore the possibilities for increased community dialogue.

The Fetzer Institute shared in a blog, “We know that foundations, nonprofits, and social enterprises play a key role in cultivating a healthy civic life. What we wanted to learn more about is how our community leaders draw on their inner strength to catalyze their work, make connections across divides and model a shared vision for our communities and our country.”

Our Shared Democracy Dinner Circles focused on providing a respectful and constructive space to explore inner values that shape community work and reflect on how these connections contribute to a thriving democracy.

Through the findings from the dinner circles provided in the final report, we’re sharing what emerged from the dinners as well as learning opportunities for other communities.

Five dinner events were held in Ellsworth, Marquette, Traverse City, Otsego County and Kalamazoo, inviting a mix of community leaders, teachers, religious leaders, public officials, business owners, nonprofit service providers and community volunteers to discuss their values and what drives their community engagement. A final dinner circle was held in Detroit in October at Our Common Future conference.

At each dinner, participants were seated in small groups and asked to use a conversation guide, which you can view here.

While these discussions took place in different communities around the state, there were several similar themes that emerged from these conversations.

Key takeaways from the dinners:

• A Common Ground: Starting with the personal, shared values is important before issues are discussed. Participants shared common concerns such as poverty, homelessness and a desire to lead change and shape democracy. Finding common ground on topics can lead to bridging differences.

• Civility: Sharing ground rules for civil discourse leads to high-quality, honest conversations without taking sides. Participants shared that the discussion framework allowed for learning opportunities.

• Love of Community and Validation in Community Work: These conversations reaffirmed the participants’ community work. They found the conversations inspiring and they reinforced community identity.

• Need for More Divergent Voices: Participants expressed the need for increased representation in community dialogue settings, with more diverse opinions and a wide range of lived experiences.  

One dinner circle participant shared, “What struck me tonight was the quality of conversation around my table – people sticking to the ground rules that were given and sticking to the questions asked, discussing significant topics with great passion.”

The dinner circle conversations also led to some key takeaways about barriers communities are facing when it comes to having a healthy democracy.

What the participants shared:

• Social media: This platform of engagement can lift negative voices and lead to transactional conversations and cynicism instead of more in-depth and civil discourse.

• Lack of time and space: There’s a feeling of loss in the “public square” pointing to a lack of public expression beyond the media and social media.

• Political infrastructure: Participants shared concerns about gerrymandering and low participation in local politics.

• Divisions in views: Intense partisanship on issues and zero-sum perspectives are barriers.

There’s ongoing work planned for further conversations in some of the communities who participated in the dinner circles.

Community dialogues and civil discourse are essential for shared prosperity and affecting change, as philanthropy and community leaders look to empower voices in the communities we serve.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation recently announced another two years of funding to continue its support of a similar model through the On the Table initiative which has brought together 40,000 residents in 10 cities, including Detroit, to discuss community issues.

Want more?

We’re sharing a conversation guide if you’d like to explore the dinner circle model in your community.