By: Lisa Schirch and David Campt. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. 2007. ISBN13: 9781561485512.

 Lisa Schirch and David Campt,  the authors of The Little Book of Dialogue for Difficult Subjects, have extensive experience with dialogue processes in conflict situations such as international peacebuilding efforts and racial reconciliation in the United States. They distil the lessons learned from these experiences into an easy to use guidebook. This recent addition to The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding series defines dialogue, discusses how it works and ways it can be used, and outlines processes for organizing, designing and facilitating dialogue process.

Schirch and Campt define dialogue as “a communication process that aims to build relationships between people as they share experiences, ideas, and information about a common concern” (p.6). As such it can be used in a variety of settings including informal small group/one-on-one dialogue; one-time dialogues to de-escalate a conflict situation; multi-session dialogues to address community issues; and large scale dialogues for hundreds or even thousands of people. While dialogue processes can be used in a variety of situations, there are some basic conditions necessary for productive communication:

• Diversity of experiences among participants
• Lack of immediacy in decision making
• Balance of power between participants
• Similar language capacity, at least as it is perceived between participants

Organizing and delivering a successful dialogue process takes teamwork. Schirch and Campt identify three key roles:

• Organizers market the process by inviting relevant participants and overseeing logistical issues.
• Designers develop the steps involved in the dialogue such as questions to be used, format for introductions and developing ground rules.
• Facilitators assist participants through the dialogue process.

The actual process includes four phases: establishing common purpose and rules for interaction; sharing of personal experiences and perceptions; exploring differences and common ground; and moving forward.

In a dialogue process, facilitators are responsible for creating the space for open, safe communication between participants. They are not experts in the subject matter being discussed but in the process. Schirch and Campt identify basic facilitator skills such as active listening, establishing purpose, modelling behaviour, and staying impartial. Beyond these basic skills, they discuss advanced skills and tasks such as inspiring confidence in their abilities, multi-tasking, remaining calm and engaged, and connecting with people.

Throughout the book, the authors use vignettes from their personal experiences to emphasise the effectiveness and various characteristics of dialogue processes. Inset boxes offer sample tools for different aspects of the dialogue process:

• Basic ground rules
• Ground Rules for going deeper in the discussion
• Questions for  exploring diversity of experiences

The Little Book of Dialogue for Difficult Subjects offers valuable advice and practical guidelines for anyone interested in using dialogue processes.


Lynette Parker

February 2008