Tom Atlee: About RedBlue

[This is cross posted from Tom's list.]

As Daniel Yankelovich noted in a post-2004-election Christian Science Monitor article, "Democracy requires space for compromise, and compromise is best won through acknowledging the legitimate concerns of the other." Yet today, there is little space for the other to be heard. We talk about issues with people who already agree with us, re-circulating the same ideas within our own communities of interest. We take our cues from our favorite media outlets, where opposing TV sound bites pass for honest dialogue, or from partisan information sources like talk radio, email lists and weblogs that aim to further polarize the electorate.

Recognizing that opinions differ, and then creating the means for people to engage in constructive rather than destructive conversations, can reduce invective debate and set the stage for the deeper dialogue so necessary to democracy, negotiation, and solving the problems our nation faces.

RedBlue will be an interactive Internet application that will provide an exciting yet safe way to engage directly with someone on "the other side" of the political spectrum. This new approach to civic engagement is designed to leave behind the confrontational and polarizing forms of discourse that dominate today's Red vs. Blue debates and reintroduce Americans to the old-fashioned notion that in matters of public policy, there can be room for reasonable people to disagree.

RedBlue will create a private, one-on-one online dialogue process by matching participants with contrasting views. "Counterparts" will learn about the ground rules of productive dialogue, then engage on a difficult issue by viewing or reading a fictional narrative scenario that frames a front-page issue in personal, rather than theoretical, terms. Their email-style discussion will be monitored by a "virtual facilitator" that will make suggestions, provide feedback, and offer to step in when the heat of the moment threatens to derail the civility of the dialogue.

The partners who have joined forces to create RedBlue are uniquely qualified for the task: Internews Interactive is a non-profit pioneer of digital media convergence which has been creating innovative public policy dialogue using digital technology since 1989; Gekko Productions specializes in adapting video tools to online and offline interactive media, and is a frequent InterAct partner in realizing the technical aspects of projects; Public Conversations Project is a nationally-recognized facilitation group working with contentious policy issues that has extensive experience in on-line dialogue, and Alejandro Levins serves as strategic and technical lead on innovative web-based initiatives for businesses and non-profits.

Questions about the project? Email us.

Want to participate?

The first phase of the project, to develop a proof-of-concept prototype, is now underway. We are recruiting testers who will be matched with cross-spectrum counterparts, and who will then use the system to conduct a dialogue. Their feedback will help us refine the system. If you're interested in participating, please enter your email address below (we will use your email address only for this notification, and will not share it with anyone). Thanks for your interest.

Tom Atlee * The Co-Intelligence Institute * PO Box 493 * Eugene, OR 97440
http://www.co-intelligence.org * http://www.democracyinnovations.org
Read THE TAO OF DEMOCRACY * http://www.taoofdemocracy.com
Tom Atlee's blog http://www.evolvingcollectiveintelligence.org
Please support our work. * Your donations are fully tax-deductible.

Posted by Jock Gill at October 26, 2006 9:07 AM | TrackBack