Who We Are
We are a group of educators, consultants, and practitioners who promote high quality communication on public issues. We are held together by our shared values and our pleasure in working together.

We live in several states, range in age from the twenties through the sixties, identify with a variety of ethnic groups, and have various professional backgrounds. Several of us have academic backgrounds in Communication.

For more information, see About Our Consultants
For more information, see About Our Board of Directors

What We Do
We envision a world in which communication in the public sphere is humane, constructive, and beneficial to all.

We believe that how people communicate determines the kind of world in which they live. If they communicate in hostile, polarized, problem-centered ways, they make a world of destructive conflict. If they communicate in a collaborative and constructive fashion, they make a world in which problems can be solved creatively, differences can be explored appreciatively, and better futures can be constructed for the entire community.

Such communication is characterized by trust and respect, and we focus on ways that help make this possible. We aim to create opportunities in which . . .

• participation is inclusive rather than exclusive;
  
• the freedom to speak is joined by the right to be heard and the responsibility to listen;
  
• differences are treated as resources rather than barriers;
• conflict is handled collaboratively rather than adversarially; and
• decisions are made creatively rather than defensively.

For more information, see About Our Services and Ways of Working.

Where We Come From
The seeds for the Public Dialogue Consortium were planted in the mid-1980s at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The Chancellor's Commission for Civility was invited by the regional office of the National Conference of Christians and Jews to participate in its "Campus Kaleidoscope" project. Working together, the NCCJ and University developed a new form of communication in which opposing advocates could discuss an important issue constructively.

About a decade later, Kaleidoscope was revived at De Anza College and San Jose State University in California by a group of communication professors and students. Sufficiently encouraged by the forums they sponsored, this group continued to meet regularly and talk about how to continue the work in ways not limited to a single event or a college campus.

By 1995, the group named itself the Public Dialogue Consortium, added members, and began to work in the San Francisco Bay area and in New Mexico.

By 1997, our work had expanded into Texas, and in 1998 we incorporated in the State of California as an non-profit organization.

For more information, see About Our Projects.

How We Are Organized
As prescribed by law, the ultimate control of our finances and operations is vested in our Board of Directors. The board has delegated administration and planning to a group of 11 consultants called the Planning Council, and our President and Secretary/Treasurer look after day-to-day operational matters. The Council has three or four retreats per year to make planning decisions, explore new ideas, and work on skills.

Actual tasks and projects are conducted by teams of project consultants. Two active geographical teams--in the San Francisco Bay Area and New Mexico--develop and implement projects in their respective regions.

We do not have chapters, members, or dues. Our organization is supported by grants and fees, and we work as independent contractors. We invite individuals to work with us who share our mission, are able to work collaboratively and use our methods, and who put in the time and effort required. We ask also that our consultants complete a bona fide PDC training.