Looking back on successes, challenges of new Civil Discourse initiative - Harvard Gazette

Eric Beerbohm reflects on the successes and challenges of the first year of the Civil Discourse initiative at Harvard, which seeks to enhance respectful dialogue around contentious issues. Highlighting the eagerness of students to engage in discussions, he points out that students often need clearer norms and frameworks for expressing their thoughts. Beerbohm emphasizes the importance of empathic listening in civil discourse and outlines how the initiative has worked to model respectful communication and provide opportunities for practice. As it moves into its second year, new programming is being developed to further support these goals.

Beerbohm believes disagreement fuels research and enhances teaching, stating, "It's really the lifeblood of a university." His initiative aims to foster respectful dialogue.

As the initiative enters its second year, Beerbohm reflects on the eagerness of students to participate in civil discourse, despite their need for clearer guidelines.

Beerbohm notes that discussions on ethically charged topics require empathic listening. "These conversations need to be handled in ways that affirm others," he says.

The first year of the Civil Discourse initiative focused on setting conditions for civil dialogue, providing opportunities, and modeling respectful communication.

Read at Harvard Gazette