Citizen

cit•i•zen — noun

a member of society, global and local

Discourse

dis•course — noun

the exchange of ideas

Citizen Discourse

cit•i•zen - dis•course — verb

Thoughtful engagement in society.
A person’s civic expression.

Our Mission

Our mission is to support the development of self-aware and empathetic global citizens prepared to contribute to the advancement of a more just and compassionate society. Through workshops, trainings and consulting, we help you build trust, and create space for productive conversations.

Compassion

Contract

Imagine living in a community where everyone you interact with has endorsed a shared set of agreements that guide how to treat one another.

We view our Compassion Contract as a social contract that creates collective agreements for how we engage with others and with our self. By signing your own Compassion Contract, you may find yourself bringing a little more compassion to your interactions in the world.

The Tenets

Be respectful

Treating someone with respect does not mean you agree with them, it just means you recognize their right to their opinion and to be treated with dignity.

Listen to understand

Pay attention to verbal and nonverbal communication in an effort to comprehend where the other person is coming from. Eliminate distractions and prepare to listen with your ears and your heart.

Act with good intentions

Communication can get messy. When your intentions are good, you can work through conflict and preserve trust in your relationship.

Support ideas with evidence and experience

Be honest, cite your sources, and be truthful about information you give others.

Disagree without being disagreeable

Don’t be nasty. Even if you really disagree with someone, remember the golden rule. You can’t control what others say or do. You can control how you respond.

Critique the idea not the person

Communicate your disagreement with a concept without making the personal attacks.

Invite wonder

Get curious. Ask questions. Dig in.

Our
Vision

Citizen Discourse is a movement devoted to reimagining a world where interactions and cultures are grounded in dignity and compassion.

Citizen Discourse’s conversation scaffolding and curriculum will be widely adopted in professional, educational, and public engagement settings, resulting in the advancement of human rights and democratic values.

Our
Values

Be respectful
Listen to understand
Act with good intentions
Support ideas with evidence and experience
Disagree without being disagreeable
Critique the idea not the person
Invite wonder
Accountability
Integrity
Justice
Gratitude

What is

Citizen Discourse?