Creating Safe Spaces for Discussion

Understanding Environmental Problems asks you to consider some very difficult moral issues, for which there are no easy or “right” answers. Given the intense emotions that these issues can provoke, we’ve also included a few guidelines for creating safe spaces for discussing these issues.

If you decide to discuss the simulation results in a group setting involving people with substantially different views on the growth issue, there are a number of steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of counter-productive confrontations.

1) There needs to be a clear set of ground rules that prohibit participants from making personal attacks.

2) All participants should be asked to state their views in a positive way, rather than attacking the views presented by others.

3) A facilitation process with newsprint flip charts is often helpful, as it simultaneously records ideas for everyone’s benefit, and keeps attention focused on the newsprint, not on “the enemy.” By recording all views, it helps avoid destructive arguments over whose views are correct. (There should be no expectation that people will change their positions during the course of the meeting.)

It is hoped, however, that the thoughtful introspection that this process is designed to encourage will, over time, lead people to make subtle changes and improvements in the way that they think about growth issues.