OUR IDEALS

"Dialogue is a conversation with a center, not sides."
- Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, William Isaacs, 1999

These thoughts are guided by the speeches and writings of Barack Obama, and various sources on personal relationship and group process/dialogue.

1. Big tent politics: everybody is included, everybody is welcome, all voices are heard.

2. Everyone is to be treated with respect at all times, no exceptions.

3. We are all in this together, and we need to work together to solve problems facing all of us.

4. Fragmentary and partial "band-aid" solutions are not good enough. We need to "connect the dots" and build big-picture solutions. To do this requires teamwork and a wide array of experts and helpers and diverse voices.

5. Diversity is powerful. When people who differ treat each other with respect and come together in conversation, they become a creative force through which can emerge new possibilities and new ideas. This is the key to releasing the creative power of the American people.