Update on my activities for the week of September 27-October 1
After being home from Russia for less than two days, I was on a plane to New Hampshire to conduct a one-day NIF training on September 28 for librarians at the New England Library Association. Despite our poorly scheduled time (the last day of an exhausting conference) we attracted nineteen librarians who learned th basic theory of deliberation, participated in a forum on Americans’ Role in the World and learned moderating and convening techniques that will enable them to connect with the New England Center for Civic Literacy for additional moderator resources and training. This workshop was made possible by Cheryl Bryan, Assistant Regional Administrator for Southeastern Mass Regional Library System, who had participated in a similar one-day conference workshop I conducted at the American Library Association Conference in San Diego. The organizers were pleased despite the low turnout because every New England state was represented by an enthusiastic future advocate for NIF in the library.
On September 30, I was back in Texas as a guest on the Austin Interfaith Dialogue television program on our local cable television station – to be aired on October 10 at 8:00 a.m. I was joined by Pastor Landon Shultz from the Bluebonnet Hills Christian Church and an active member of Texas Forums. Rich Thompson conducted the interview.
On Friday October 1, I was a guest speaker for a class at a small private school including middle school and high school students being taught by a fellow Texas Forums member, Robyn Emerson. Robyn is using the NIF in the classroom curriculum to introduce these students to deliberation over the next school year. When given the option to limit this course to high school students only, Robyn courageously opted to include the entire school – less than thirty students representing the wide age range from middle to high school. This school, committed to creating global citizens, is a perfect testing ground for the role of deliberation in formulating international policy and Americans’ Role in the World is the first issue these students are tackling.
Before the class, I sat in on the school’s weekly town hall meeting led by students on a rotating basis. This particular forum was led by a middle school-aged student and focused on how students can communicate effectively with each other even when they disagree or when their fellow students engage in irritating behavior. At the end of the town hall meeting he laid out his objectives for convening the forum and was affirmed that his objective to create new understanding was achieved. It was a perfect lead-in to our discussion about the difference between debate (including a reflection on the previous evening’s presidential debate) and deliberation. Of course, my recent trip to Russia was core to the lesson of the day. As any classroom teacher can affirm, I came away with more lessons that I dispensed. Here’s what I learned:
I often use family decisions as a metaphor for understanding the role of deliberation in decision-making. When I asked the students what the family conversation would look like if mom or dad received a high paying job offer that would necessitate a move to Tulsa (with apologies to my Oklahoma colleagues!) I learned that the students would not have a voice. These bright students who are being sent to an expensive private school to learn how to think and act as global citizens would be shut out of an important decision that would have a huge impact on them. Furthermore, they stated with confidence that money would be the primary factor in their parents’ decision – not quality of life, not educational choices, not proximity to friends and family or any of the other values I know were critical to all of the moving decisions my family made. This example provided me with the opportunity to point out how it feels to be left out of important decisions and the relevance of public forums. I was also able to draw out the values that would drive their parent’s decision – more money, stability, the choices that money could provide, etc.. When one young man commented that he would love to move to Tulsa because that was an ideal place to pursue his dream to be a race car driver, we were able to discuss how different values could lead to the same decision and how similar values could lead to a different decision. It may seem like a stretch to some, but anyone who works with youth you take advantage of these teaching moments as they come!
Robyn asked me to talk about the recent Kettering Foundation trip to Russia. I opened the conversation by asking the students if anyone had ever asked them what they think about our relationship with Russia post Cold War (fortunately, they had read about the Cold War even though they had no actual memory of it!). Naturally, their response was a resounding “no”. I briefly recounted the circumstances of New Dartmouth and then challenged them that their involvement as future global citizens in these conversations was vital to defining and strengthening this relationship. I hope to hold a U.S. Russia relations forum at a future class.
As we solicited their summary of the four approaches in Americans’ Role in the World in preparation for their upcoming forum, one young man (young enough to have a lego-type play toy on the desk in front of him) stated, “Bush sucks” and described approach 1 as “the world domination approach where we kill anyone who disagrees with us.” After a brief prayer of thanks that I won’t be the moderator for this forum (good luck to Robyn and Carrie Stewart), I quickly challenged him and the group to dig deeper and to spend the week listening to positions they found offensive for a clearer understanding of the rationale behind those positions.
At the conclusion of the class, one young woman admitted that she was unsure of how to vote and confided that her paralysis was due to the burden she felt to make the right decision. She is taking her vote seriously because she feels accountable for the outcome of her vote – she feels responsible for the performance of the person she elects! I hope she does vote. I think we could use more voters who are that thoughtful.
One young man sought me out at the end of class and gushed, “I really like you, I think you are great. Thanks for coming to our class.” If I were thirty years younger and this school had a football team, I’m sure I’d be wearing his letter jacket by now! Since that is not the case, I interpret his comments to mean that he took my charge to heart and recognizes the important role of young people in crafting the future of this country. I don’t really need a thirteen year old boyfriend or a letter jacket. I’m content with the possibility that he might be my congressman during my old age.
On Friday afternoon, I came home and collapsed!
The next two weeks will be a busy for Texas Forums.
On Monday, October 4, Marsha will be presenting Texas Forums at the monthly Delta Kappa Gamma meeting.
On Tuesday, October 5, I will be speaking to the Lake Travis Democrats preceding the Vice-Presidential debate watch.
October 6-8, I’ll be in Illinois for the on-campus session of the change management course I teach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I’ll also be doing a presentation on the New Dartmouth Project.
Don’t forget that we have a moderator training session on October 15-16 at the Round Rock Public Library. We still have openings! If you would like to volunteer to help out, please let me know. We could use some help with registration and setting up for lunch. You are also welcome to sit in as a refresher, if you like, but be warned that you will be put to work!
