Webinar: Fostering Constructive Dialogue over Polarizing Topics

When:  Sep 26, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 01:30 PM (CT)

Event Description

This webinar will deliver key principles and tools to increase awareness and understanding of the skills needed to support others in engaging more constructively on polarizing topics. It will cover:

  1. The meaning and goals of dialogue

  2. The art of listening

  3. Identity threats, dealing with emotions, de-escalation strategies + tips on how to transfer those to students

  4. The art and goals of facilitation

  5. How to deal with triggers

  6. Setting the space for dialogue, sound questions, difficult dynamics

  7. Convening and communicating on dialogue

The speaker will provide examples on how to address specific difficult topics and invite the audience to connect the concepts presented with their own realities and experiences.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

This webinar is intended for University staff, particularly those engaging with students.

By participating in this webinar, attendees will:

  1. Acquire a renewed sense of possibility to shift the culture of engagement over difficult topics on campuses

  2. Get exposed to the core communication skills to support others in engaging with differences constructively as a third party

  3. Get exposed to the core tenets and tools of dialogue facilitation

  4. Improve their self-awareness of their attitude regarding polarized topics

  5. Get motivated to enroll into further training and dialogue experiences to develop the dispositions and skills to engage constructively with difference

PRESENTER:

Rafael Tyszblat is a consultant, program designer, mediator, facilitator and trainer in the fields of conflict resolution and dialogue. Based in Paris, France, he is the Director of Innovation and Design at Soliya, an online-based NGO who pioneered the field of Virtual Exchange. He designs and leads programs between youth from North America, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East as well as within American and European societies between members of antagonistic communities. He graduated from the Institute of Political Science (Sciences-Po Paris), has an MPhil in International Relations (Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne) and a MA in Conflict Resolution (University of Bradford).

Learn more about Soliya and their programs.