Engaging in Civil Discourse at Georgetown
Georgetown is committed to building a campus community rooted in mutual respect and a culture of civil discourse and respectful dialogue. At Georgetown, we believe engaging in challenging discussions with people across political ideologies, race, faith traditions and other backgrounds enriches our lives with greater knowledge and understanding.
Georgetown Dialogues Initiative
Through a Georgetown education, students are formed to be active participants in an intellectual community capable of engaging with challenging ideas. With the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative (GDI), students can enroll in courses co-taught by faculty of opposing viewpoints to better understand what it takes to listen and engage in difficult dialogues.
Asking Hard Questions
Every year, Georgetown hosts high-profile guests from all political backgrounds in special events, from heads of state to presidential candidates and lawmakers. Students also get to directly ask these leaders challenging questions to push the conversation forward in a constructive way.
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Hearing New Perspectives
Catherine Tinsley, Raffini Family Professor of Management, shares her tips on how to talk about politics without making enemies.
Georgetown has partnered with an organization of bereaved Israelis and Palestinian families to produce a program that fosters dialogue about the human side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
How to Engage in Civil Discourse
In this Ask a Professor, sociolinguistics Professor Marissa Fond offers some advice on how to engage in constructive conversations.
A Testimonial
“More than anything, my first year at McCourt has taught me the value of engaging with diverse perspectives. Moving forward means moving together, even when it seems impossible. That’s why I wanted to go to the RNC with GU Politics.”
Reaching Across Faith Traditions
When Renato (SFS’24) was choosing where to go to college, Georgetown’s Jesuit values stood out. In this student blog, he recounts how he lives out those values on the Hilltop.
Across five decades, Georgetown’s signature course has encouraged students to grapple with big life questions and reflect on the religious dimension of human nature.
Tools for Civil Discourse
The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) equips the Georgetown community with resources to seek common understanding and engage in civil discourse through programs, initiatives, toolkits and more.