Dialogues for Social Change
Cognitive Dissonance occurs when what you believe to be true is in direct conflict with what you see to be true. It happens when you realize that your truth is A truth- not THE truth.
In order to learn and remember, you generally have to physically “break” an old memory and put it together with an old one – a new synthesis. Learning occurs on top of old learning. It’s a physico-chemical process of creation. You don’t get what you had before. So most memories don’t stay the same for very long. They change.
Cognitive Dissonance. It happens right before you change your mind. It happens when you are presented with a new data point which challenges your existing belief system. Cognitive Dissonance is present when we learn. For reasons that are unfathomable to me as an educator, we are frequently taught to construct a belief and stick to it. We are taught that our truth is THE truth. With 7 billion people on the planet, I find it breathtakingly arrogant that anyone could think that their truth was THE truth. It is also statistically improbable,
Brains are not collections of facts laced together into permanent storage, like DVDs. Memories are remade on the fly.
Committed to Participating in Uncomfortable Conversations.
Step 1: Identify your social issue or challenge.
Step 2. Assemble your planning committee (3-5 people representing all stakeholders, if possible).
Step 3. Convene the committee digitally to exchange and consume data resources and identify potential emerging trends for discussion.
Step 3. Design the model for the Dialogue Event
Step 4. Advertise the Dialogue Event
Step 5. Hold the Dialogue Event
Step 6. Deposit the Outcomes and Plans going forward on the Dialogue Event page.
Sample Event Schedule
Timeline
30 minutes Bridges shares historical and cultural topic summary
30 minutes Introductions and Identifying Emerging Topics of Concern
60 minutes Small group discussions
60 minutes Report out and plan for action
Interest Alike Groups
Facilitator
Speaker
Recorder
Photographer
Group Report Out on Yellow Card:
Four important revelations.
Project/meetings going forward.
Contact person going forward.