Overview

Welcome to the Conversation!
www.conversationtacoma.blogspot.com
Who are we?

We are a group of South Sound residents committed to building diverse, critically engaged, communities grounded in social justice. We believe that the WE in “We the people” is All of us. Through talk and through action, we strive to model a just, open, compassionate community. We value personal relationships, diversity, and systemic change.

How can you participate the first time you attend a Conversation meeting?
The first time you attend, we invite you to introduce yourself by way of a few brief comments and then to participate through attentive listening. This will give you a good sense of who we are, how we interact, and what your role amongst us might be.

What happens at the weekly meeting?
• Each Sunday, doors open at 9:00 AM—coffee, chitchat and settling in occurs between 9:00 and 9:15. The leadership team arrives by 9:00.
• We begin at 9:15 AM.
• The program is structured as follows:
o Welcome & Introductions
o Personal Stories
o Moral Philosophical Question –Lecture
o Break
o Small Group Discussion
o Plenary Discussion
o Announcements & Closing
o Voluntary contributions to the Donation Box

How are meetings conducted?
• We raise our hands when we wish to speak.
• A moderator calls on discussants and keeps track of the order of speakers.
• Someone who has spoken once on a topic is invited to speak a second time after others have had a chance to voice their perspective.
• At 11:00 AM, discussion is suspended to allow those who need to leave to do so.

How do visitors become participants?
Once you confirm for yourself that the mission and values of the Conversation are aligned with your own, you are ready to participate fully. We invite you to contribute your talents, energy, and vision at the weekly meeting and to join one or more of our action groups working to extend social justice by means of education, peace work, and the arts. Currently, these include the Education Action Group, the SoJust Committee, the Martin Luther King Redeeming the Vision Committee, and the Race and Pedagogy Initiative.