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Sustained Dialogue

About Sustained Dialogue (SD)

The Sustained Dialogue program was brought to campus because student leaders demanded change.  From the beginning, the program has been informed by student experiences and the vision of a more a socially just and equitable camps.   Sustained Dialogue is a 5-phase dialogue to action program guided by The Sustained Dialogue Institute. There are SD groups in 12 countries, 4 communities, 10 workplaces, and  44 campuses worldwide.

 

How it Works

SD gathers graduate and undergraduate student participants from diverse backgrounds into small groups that meet regularly to build relationships and develop informed strategies to improve their campuses and communities, especially around the following dimensions of identity: 

Race, Mental Health, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status/Class, Age, Sexual Orientation, Political Affiliation, Sex & GenderReligion, Ability, Citizenship.

Groups incorporate the following elements:

SD is sustained in three ways:

1. Participants: Each SD group maintains the same participants and moderators.

2. Agenda: Each meeting is designed to continue where the last ended.

3. Time: Dialogues meet consistently at an appointed weekly time for at least an hour.

After participating in Sustained Dialogue, students are...

Significantly more likely to:

Significantly more able to:

Dialogue is traditionally conducted face-to-face. The face-to-face element is central in being able to humanize and empathize with others, to create deep authentic relations, and to listen attentively and actively. In order to best replicate this connection in the virtual space, we encourage you to be camera-on if you can, though we understand barriers to this.

Students will be expected to have personal and challenging conversations, we do not recommend taking this seminar virtually if you do not have access to an environment that will allow you to engage in these dialogues safely and with the privacy you may desire.

"We understand that everyone has room for growth in understanding oppression, power and privilege. Sustained Dialogue is a space in which all NU students can learn from one another.  Whether or not you are actively engaged in these conversations already, if you are willing to speak truth to your experience and challenge yourself, we invite you to join Sustained Dialogue; and then we challenge you to seek out the many other options you have on this campus for challenging oppressive systems." - Former Sustained Dialogue Leadership Team: Ariana Seals, Kate Gladstone, Matt Herndon, Vicky Ho, Xiomara Contreras in a Letter to the Editor, The Daily Northwestern

Questions? Contact us at socialjustice@u.northwestern.edu.