Creating Spaces for Healthy Public Conflict

Lori Britt, communication scholar and director of the Institute for Constructive Advocacy & Dialogue at James Madison University, shares how a deeply controversial community forum on marriage equality became a model for what productive disagreement can actually look like. From clashing colleagues and nervous speakers to media pressure and generational divides, she walks us through the hidden conflicts behind designing dialogue that doesn’t just talk at people, but invites them in. Lori argues that the real work of democracy is humanizing those across the table, not winning the argument. The result is a powerful case for curiosity, humility, and the possibility of connection in polarized times.

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