What is Community Dialogue?

Communities are groups of people with shared interests, goals, and challenges. A community dialogue is a facilitated conversation, often sustained over multiple sessions, months or years, that draws participants from various backgrounds and perspectives across one community, or from two or more identity groups within a community, to actively listen, exchange information, share first-hand experiences, honestly express perspectives, clarify viewpoints, and develop solutions to community-level concerns.

Dialogues may address specific tensions or to bring together disparate parts of a community in strategic planning. These can be used effectively as part of ongoing community organizing and planning efforts.