The Office of Public Affairs has released a new animation exploring dialogue today.
The animation aims to offer an alternative to the divisive frameworks guiding our public dialogue: consultation.
By exploring our current context, the adversarial frameworks guiding much of our discourse, and putting this framework into context, the animation charts the history of our public discussions. It also considers the limitation of our current model before offering 'consultation' as a framework.
Consultation is a mode of discussion characterised by the desire to work alongside others to find truth. It seeks to harness a diversity of perspectives, sources of information, knowledge and experiences in order to reach solutions to problems that are just, equitable, and unifying.
Qualities and attitudes that define consultation include humility, a willingness to listen and contribute, generosity, and tactfulness.
It also requires detachment. In this model of discussion, once an idea has been shared with a group of people, it no longer belongs to an individual, but to the group. This means that the original speaker has no ownership over the idea, it belong to the collective and so can be discussed without creating conflict.
This form of dialogue looks to encourage a more inclusive search for truth, creating an environment that allows more people to contribute, opening up a greater diversity of perspectives.
A work pack to support friends to get the most of out of this animation on consultation will be released shortly.