Syracuse Sun

The "Life Together: Seeking the Common Good in a Diverse Democracy" initiative is set to expand in the Spring 2025 semester. This expansion follows the success of its initial event held in October 2024, which focused on fostering skills for civil dialogue and engagement. These skills include active listening, critical reasoning, inclusive advocacy, and promoting the common good.

The inaugural event, titled "Life Together: A Community Conversation for Election Season and Beyond," took place on campus on October 22. It attracted hundreds of participants from the University community, including students, staff, and faculty from diverse backgrounds. The event featured a moderated discussion among experts and small group conversations led by trained facilitators who were also part of the campus community.

Gretchen Ritter, vice president for civic engagement and education; Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship; and Tina Nabatchi, director of the Maxwell School’s Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC), are leading this initiative.

Several events are planned as part of this next phase:

- Life Together Leadership Fellows: Gretchen Ritter will collaborate with PARCC to lead a four-part training session aimed at developing civic skills necessary for democratic engagement within a diverse community. Four two-hour training sessions will be required. Applications are open until January 31.

- “Civic Stories” Digital Storytelling Project: This project will gather personal stories through short video/audio recordings and reflective writing to deepen understanding of civic engagement by humanizing complex issues.

- Life Together Online Community Conversations Modules: In collaboration with PARCC and the College of Professional Studies, online modules will be developed to facilitate community conversations beyond Syracuse's physical boundaries.

- Life Together Lecture Series: A series that will bring speakers to campus to enhance discussions around critical civic engagement skills is planned with four colloquiums expected in spring.

Further details about participation opportunities for University community members will be shared early in the spring semester.