We must talk, listen to each other to save our democracy

reach that common ground, they must be willing and able to share what is in their heads and in their hearts about things that matter to them and to listen carefully and respectfully to what others have to say.

The United States, the oldest democracy in the world, is increasingly in danger of becoming non-democratic because of extensive polarization of citizens and the leaders who represent them. There will always be differences of opinion about political issues, but the differences today seem to be more intense.

A major factor is the extensive development of social media and news coverage, which allows individuals to get manyandvariedviews.Theresultisthat people can access reports that support their prejudices and be connected to many others who agree with their views. This convinces them that they are right.

What is needed is the opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow citizens, encouraging each to develop the ability and desire to not only share their views but also to hear what others have to say. In any organization − family, community, city, state or nation − for individuals to work together, they must find common ground. This is a place where they can stand together and work together. To

My belief in the importance and power of direct discussions among citizens is formed by my nearly 18 years of experience with the Kettering Foundation and with the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI), two organizations that work in partnership and are headquartered in Dayton,Ohio.Whatdrewmetothiswork was the focus that Kettering and NIFI placed on helping citizens interact with others about problems they faced.

Since 1982, Kettering and NIFI have worked together to promote public deliberation. This is a process that invites everyone to share their experiences and to listen to what others have to say. NIFI publishes guides that describe an issue in a non-partisan way, presenting three options about how the problem might be confronted with pros and cons about each alternative. NIFI uses these guides to invite participants around the nation to join forums where they can share their views. Kettering uses the conclusions provided anonymously by participants at the end of the forums to help determine how citizens feel about the issue.

Traditionally, forums are held in per- son. However, during the recent pandemic, forum participants often interacted virtually through Zoom. It is possible that this may become a major process for conducting forums in the future, giving NIFI the potential to have a geographic diversity in participants and offering the opportunity to participate without leaving home. Each forum is led by a moderator who is impartial as to which alternative should be pursued, focusing instead on insuring that each participant is able to share his or her views. Participants attending a forum in person are seated in a circle, enabling all to see facesandobserveemotionalreactionsas they speak. Video conferencing also provides this opportunity.

I have moderated more than 100 forums for participants ranging from high school students to residents in retirement villages. I have found that, repeatedly, individuals start with very different ideas but often found some version of common ground by the end of the forum. It was not unusual to observe participants who had different views at the beginning of a forum joined in extensive discussion afterwards.

Today’s polarization is so intense that extensive efforts must be made to enable citizens of all ages and occupations to have opportunities to develop the skills of public deliberation and to engage on issues that are important to them.

Teachers who use the issue guides and the deliberation process in class can help thenextgenerationhavethoseskills.But the need is acute for a larger segment of the current population to have and use these skills to find common ground.

Our nation would be a better place to live if a larger share of the population developed the skills to talk with and listen to each other. A current issue that confronts our nation is the challenge of providing access to voting for citizens. Voting is the process via which citizens determine who is going to represent them in making important decisions in their community, state and nation. Therefore, Kettering and NIFI have produced an issue guide entitled “Elections: How should we encourage and safeguard voting.” We are conducting forums to provide citizens with the opportunity to share their views.

If you would like to participate, you can go to the NIFI website (www.nifi.org) and download a free copy of the guide. If you would then like to participate in a forum, you can email NIFI at dminnich@nifi.org and we will inform you of a date for a forum using Zoom.

Bill Muse, a resident of Pleasant Ridge, is a former president of Auburn University and now serves as board member and president emeritus of NIFI.

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