Sample Host Introduction for a Civil Dialogue Event Tempe, Arizona, 2011.

Topic: Illegal Immigration Good evening and welcome to Civil Dialogue, where our goal is to invite you to speak and listen to others on challenging topics that typically generate strong responses. We encourage robust and passionate dialogue from our participantsalways within an environment of civility. In recent years the United States has increasingly experienced polarity in public opinion, and more importantly, public expression of these opinions. Politicians, competing talk show hosts, bloggers, and angry tweeters are sharing their perspectives in a variety of mediums, while everyday citizens often remain silent. Recently, the state of Arizona has experienced deep ideological divisions on the topic of immigration that have made it nearly impossible for people living here together to speak to one another civilly. We believe that Arizonans can speak to one another. We believe that people who disagree about hot topics, like immigration policies and laws, can come together in dialogue with cool heads. We believe that we can disagree without demonizing. We believe that civil disagreement is truly possible and that people who engage in civil speech and civil listening are helping all of us become more informed members of society. Civil speech happens when a person expresses their beliefs and values in a passionate yet responsible and truthful manner. Civil listening happens when you attempt to understand a speakers ideas and feelings by listening with to them with patience and empathy.

Let me explain how a Civil Dialogue works. In a moment, I will introduce you to tonights Civil Dialogue facilitator who will reveal a statement for you to consider. You will note that there are five chairs in our Civil Dialogue semi-circle. On a voluntary basis the facilitator will ask you to occupy a chair based on your response to a statement. You may find that you strongly agree or just agree with the statement. You may agree somewhat with the statement, be undecided or neutral about the statement, or disagree somewhat, disagree, or strongly disagree. After our volunteers are in place, the facilitator will ask each participant to offer a short, one minute, explanation of why they have occupied that particular chair. After hearing from everyone, the group of five will be invited to participate in an open civil dialogue. This dialogue will require that participants remain passionate and open-minded while speaking and listening from their chosen position. At the end of ten minutes, the discussion will be opened to the broader audience for their questions and comments, and then we will return to each member of the dialogue so that they can offer a brief closing summary of their thoughts. We have a fact checker on the computer in case we encounter a question that cant be answered or if there is a potential misstatement of a fact. This is . Our facilitator for tonights event is .