Laura Chasin, a family therapist with a background in social work, founded the Public Conversations Project at the Family Institute of Cambridge in Massachusetts. They began by 'brainstorming' to see how the principles so effective in family therapy might be applied to facilitating more fruitful discussions on issues of public concern. They chose the conflict over the issue of abortion, and invited both 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' protagonists to take part.
The preliminary contacts emphasised the aim of bringing about more useful discussion by providing a forum where individuals would be encouraged to present their own views, and without attempting to change anyone else's position. Participants were invited to an evening which started with supper, after which each of them introduced themselves and outlined the backgrounds and experiences that had led them to the position they took on the abortion issue.
Half-way through, the meeting was thrown open to questions. These were admissible only so long as they originated from genuine interest and curiosity rather than a desire to argue or persuade. The idea was to encourage independent opinions, free of the views of leaders of the pro and anti-abortion factions. A few 'clever tricks' appear to have been tried, but the researchers concluded that confidence, trust and free communication were the vital factors in facilitating constructive discussion.
The openness of the ensuing discussions surprised both the family therapists and the participants, and though most of the latter half stayed with their original positions, an enjoyable increase in understanding ensued.
The work of these therapists seems to have laid the foundations for the kind of discussions which could transform a democratic society like our own, if only some way could be found to apply what they have learned in a broad and systematic manner.
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