Are speakers available who can discuss Italy from firsthand experiences and observations?
If your discussion group consists of more than 40 or 30 persons, an informal discussion may be difficult. If your meeting place has a stage and good lighting, you can more easily arrange a panel or symposium. If a lot of persons in your group have firsthand knowledge of Italy, you will not need to spend so much time presenting background information; you can, instead, devote most of your time to informal discussion, inviting these people to contribute their own views freely. If one or more prominent persons with firsthand experience and knowledge about Italy can be obtained to speak to your group, you probably will wish to plan a forum, panel, or symposium; and in this event you can devote a longer time to presentation of background information. Whatever method you use, however, members of your group will want to feel that they are part of the program. Make them feel at home. Invite them to ask questions or to disagree with your views or those of the speakers. Keep the discussion on ma
