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Dialogue.  Debate.  Deliberation. Three words you may think have similar meaning but have significant differences, especially in terms of relevant, ethical topics in our society. 4C: Campus Community Civic Collaborative is an organization that introduces difficult topics such as same sex marriage, mental health, guns and public life, etc. to bring the community together in a welcoming atmosphere where deeper consideration about the topics can occur. The organization at JMU promotes community education and uses communication as a positive influence on the public sphere. These skills were used recently at an event held by 4C last Tuesday.

“We encourage talk about value-laden issues where people tend to think—you can’t solve it,” stated Dr. Lori Britt, assistant professor at SCOM and director of the 4C, “And you can’t really solve it. But what you can do is bring citizens face-to-face with other people that may differ from them so they can talk about why, perhaps find some mutual understanding and potentially some common ground from which to act.” The topics designed by 4C tend to be based on divergent opinions but that truly need to be discussed in society. Sometimes the goal of the discussion is dialogue—being able to truly understand others’ views. In some cases, the goal is deliberation—a careful consideration of which approaches to addressing the issue a community might support.

Dr. Britt facilitating dialogue between the two speakers.

The State and Marriage: Understanding Two Perspectives, held Tuesday, September 23, is one example of an event that 4C and community members hosted to introduce a constructive dialogue for attendees on the topic of same sex marriage. James Parrish, Executive Director of Equality Virginia, and Maggie Gallagher, Senior Fellow at American Principles Project, started the event by explaining their different views on the definition of marriage. Britt facilitated their discussion and worked them through a listening section, which ensured that they understood the opposite speaker’s opinion. As Britt noted, “We are not asking to change your views, but to enlarge your thinking.”

After the speaker dialogue, community members discussed their opinions as well in small group discussions. MaryBeth Fiedler, a senior business major and facilitator of this event, was excited to lead a discussion and encourage people to open their minds to each opinion. “It’s about broadening my horizons as well as trying to help other people broaden their horizons, too,” said Fiedler.

Facilitated groups meet to discuss the topic of same-sex marriage further.

4C hosts many events like this throughout the year. Students, community members and faculty at JMU are the base of the organization. Students gain experience to become trained facilitators through Britt’s class SCOM 447, Facilitating Public and Organizational Engagement Processes. “Students can leave [this class] with a skillset they can use to hold productive conversations in offices, in groups they belong to, etc.,” said Britt, “These are the skills where they can use communication as a positive influence in whatever career or wherever they find themselves.”

4C is an organization created by ICAD and the Fairfeild Center in downtown Harrisonburg to bring the community together to discuss difficult topics. The mission is to enlighten and educate citizens for a deeper understanding of these topics. For more information visit their website or contact the director, Dr. Lori Britt (brittll@jmu.edu) or the 4C Affiliate Faculty member, Dr. Pete Bsumek (bsumekpk@jmu.edu).