What makes a good question for a Conversation Café?
• Open, without embedded cultural, political or ideological assumptions. • Inviting both head and heart. People can respond with both their feelings and their thoughts. • Honest. It has not already been answered conclusively – yet finding an answer is crucial to moving forward. • Experiential. People can if they choose tell a story or recall an experience that relates to the question. • Inclusive. Anyone at the table could have something valuable to say – whatever age, race, gender or education level. • Stimulating. Generates a lively exploration; can’t be answered with a “yes” or “no” or a platitude. • Relevant. It may be general, but it relates to people’s lives – from the personal to the political to the philosophical. SO: Pick a question for your Conversation Week dialogue that you think your friends and neighbors would find interesting and fruitful. Whatever question you pick, once you’ve presented it, tell your guests that they can respond with how they feel about the question, w
