By Gregg Kaufman - A Letter to the Florida Times-Union, "We have a model way to discuss important events in our lives"

Blog Category: 

  • Gregg Kaufman
  • Deliberative forum

On June 13, 2020, the Florida Times-Union published a letter to the editor written by the Rev. R. Gregg Kaufman. In the letter, titled We have a model way to discuss important events in our lives, Kaufman describes what is different and valuable about people using deliberative dialogue as a way to work on problems and making choices, and about some specific deliberative forums projects in the Jacksonville, Florida area. One such project focused on the question How Should We Convey the History of Jacksonville? Monuments, Parks, & People.

Here is some of what Kaufman wrote about deliberative dialogue:

Jacksonville citizens and organizations express their concerns in a variety of ways. Daily marches over the past two weeks illustrate the overwhelming concern for justice and improved community relationships.

However, deliberative dialogue allows people in small groups to devote two or more hours to working together to find common ground...

Gathering to carefully listen and talk across differences is embedded in the United States Constitution’s Preamble...

Click here to read the full letter to the editor.