How students at Colorado State helped teach their community to stop talking past each other and manage complex problems

In Fort Collins, Colorado, residents discussing whether to allow marijuana dispensaries didn't queue up for two-minute speeches. Instead, they sat around tables, listened to different views, and worked toward solutions that addressed everyone's concerns. Over the past 20 years, such gatherings have happened more than 500 times, each facilitated by college students.

Turning a debate class into a dialogue class

The author is a communication professor at Colorado State University. He found that many social issues are 'wicked problems' – like installing security cameras, where safety and privacy naturally clash. Such problems can't be solved once and for all; they need collaborative communication.

But human brains aren't wired for this. People favour information that supports their existing beliefs, prefer simple stories of heroes and villains, and are easily swayed by identity-based appeals. Textbooks often ask students to start with a conclusion and then find evidence; the author instead asked his students to set aside bias and explore multiple sides of an issue, rather than rushing to debate.

Taking dialogue beyond campus

In 2006, the author founded the Center for Public Deliberation, training students to facilitate small-group discussions. Student-facilitated community events on issues like housing affordability and decarbonisation produced positive results. Good design and good facilitation can spark human creativity and cooperative instincts.

Today, similar centers have spread to more than 40 campuses nationwide. The author believes changing how people talk to each other can restore hope for democracy.