It was a great success, surpassing even our most optimistic expectations. We knew that the Saguaro participants were clearly talented and diverse, but the meeting demonstrated that a useful alchemy would arise and that even people this busy would be prepared to invest six weekends over two years in the Saguaro project to ensure achieving a worthwhile goal. Along all three dimensions the meeting succeeded. These discussions spilled over into dialogues during breaks, meals, and evenings. Such discussions helped the group advance beyond the stage where participants are polite but reluctant to criticize others, to where they begin to learn from differences.
Some examples are helpful.
Coming out of the meeting, several pairs of participants agreed to collaborate on future work on civic engagement. Two political opponents conversed earnestly in public and private about how to renew our political culture and discourse. The discussions generated a host of ideas regarding civic engagement opportunities and threats. For example, participants thought promise may lie in evangelical churches or an adaptation of the Internet or in increased cross-sectoral partnerships. Emerging from these discussions, the Saguaro group members prioritized what they thought were the most promising avenues to explore further in the upcoming Saguaro sessions.