Civil Discourse

Civil discourse is the practice of discussing social concerns, public policies, or other topics relevant to civic life. It includes varied ways of bringing people together to exchange ideas and promote greater understanding, such as: 

• dialogue, when those gathered share their perspectives, listen, and learn from each other; 
• debate, when differing viewpoints are presented and argued respectfully and constructively; and  
• deliberation, when all relevant stakeholders are included in the discussions and collaborative decision-making. 

Civil discourse fosters reflective self-awareness, critical thinking, mutual respect, and commitment to the common good. As such, it can be a powerful tool for transformative learning, and it is essential to a flourishing democracy. 

Spring 2025 Dinner Dialogues

Dinner Dialogues are opportunities for UWM students to gather over meals for facilitated conversations on significant and timely topics. Each dialogue will be planned and facilitated by a team of 2–3 graduate students and hosted by one or more UWM faculty or staff. These Dinner Dialogues are part of a semester-long Dialogue Project funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue.

Dialogue details and registration

Any UWM student is welcome to register for one of the Dinner Dialogues listed below. Registration for each dialogue is limited, so don’t delay! Some dialogues will occur on campus and some off campus. In the registration form, you’ll have space to indicate any dietary or accommodation needs. If the hosting location is driving distance from campus, you’ll also have space to indicate transportation needs.

Any questions? Please contact Sarah MacDonald.

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