Members of the Wellesley community have launched a Civil Discourse Initiative to help give residents a way to come together and talk about important issues, the group said in a statement.
The initiative aims to address the “increasingly divisive and fractious tone in public conversations” by organizing carefully planned dialogues with trained facilitators, the statement said. The program was launched after members witnessed “a decline in civility in recent times,” the statement said.
The group will host two virtual public meetings on Zoom, on March 23 and April 6, according to the statement.
The March 23 session, scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m., will introduce the Wellesley community to the concept of the initiative, and feature speakers from Gloucester, Groton, and Watertown who will share their experiences using facilitated dialogue to bring diverse perspectives together, the statement said.
Residents can register for the session by visiting the town website at wellesleyma.gov.
The April 6 session will be a dialogue on coping with COVID-19 in Wellesley, the statement said. The session will run from 7 to 9 p.m. and registration will open after March 23.
The events are free, and funded by grants through the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association and the Foundation for MetroWest’s Community Fund for Wellesley.
“We want to train people in our community to facilitate conversations so when we face difficult issues, we are ready to have discussions that will help us understand each other’s perspectives — even when we disagree,” said Lise Olney, a member of the town’s Select Board and the initiative’s planning team, in the statement.
John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.
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Wellesley community members launch civil discourse sessions - The Boston Globe
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