Dialogue is at the heart of circle work, and it is also used in many other forums. There are many definitions of dialogue. We like this simple one: "Dialogue is people truly listening to people truly speaking." (Harrison Owen, founder of Open Space Technology) Dialogue is often contrasted with other forms of communication such as discussion or debate in which participants typically assert their well-defended opinions and positions back and forth with a goal of finding flaws in the other's arguments and affirming the superiority of their own view. Dialogue, on the other hand, is a shared exploration toward deeper levels of understanding and meaning in which all participants reflect on their own assumptions and allow them to be re-evaluated. David Bohm, the late quantum physicist who pioneered the modern understanding and practice of dialogue, observed that through dialogue "a new kind of mind comes into being, based on the development of common meaning." This 'new kind of mind' appears similar to what we are calling the collective wisdom of the group.

 

Leading organizations and resource centers

 

National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (www.thataway.org)

The NCDD website houses a superbly organized resource section for every dialogue and deliberation subject under the sun. It is a comprehensive one-stop shop for dialogue researchers and practitioners. Highly recommended.

 

Co-Intelligence Institute (www.co-intelligence.org)

Tom Atlee's site has a wide range of accessible articles about dialogue, including a very useful general outline (see below, in 'Articles').

 

Global Dialogue Institute (http://global-dialogue.org)

The Global Dialogue Institute brings a special focus on encouraging dialogue amongst the 'opinion-shapers' of society: scholars, professionals, and business and institutional leaders.

 

Let's Talk America (www.letstalkamerica.org)

Let's Talk America is a nationwide movement to encourage a national dialogue, inclusive of all political viewpoints, on the state of US democracy. The website provides how-to guides and other resources to help people host such conversations.

 

 

Books

For a comprehensive list of must-have books in the field, please visit the NCDD Resources section (www.thataway.org/resources/understand/tools.html).

 

Our favorite books include:

 

Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, William Isaacs. 1999. Currency.

Isaacs is one of the founders of MIT's Organizational Learning Center, and directed MIT's Dialogue Project, on which this book is based.

 

On Dialogue. David Bohm. 1996. Routledge

The classic documentation of David Bohm's dialogical world view, in a revised and expanded edition.

 

 

Articles

Tom Atlee's overview of dialogue at the Co-Intelligence Institute website is an excellent introduction (http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-dialogue.html).

 

 

Training

For a comprehensive list of organizations offering training in dialogue and deliberation, please see the NCDD list at www.thataway.org/resources/explore/training.html.

 

 

Conferences

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation hosts a large annual conference. See www.thataway.org for details.