Us Dr. MLK, Jr. In small towns and in big cities Americans are talking about a subject that had been off-limits for a number or years. Oregon Uniting is opening up the subject through Dialogues on Race. Dialogue is different from debate. Dialogue is two sides working together toward a common understanding.
Debate is two sides opposing each other and attempting to prove each other wrong.
The dialogue process consists of biracial teams of trained facilitators. Their role is to create and maintain a safe environment so that views can be expressed without invalidation. The Dialogues, which ideally should be 8-12 people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, are a series of sessions totaling 12 hours. The participants set the schedule for how long each session will be, and what days they will be held. Additional facilitators will be trained depending on the level of interest.