Convener Handout

The role of the convener is essential to the deliberative process. The convener is a community member (or
members) whose role is to invite a diverse group of people to a community forum, find a neutral public space in which to
host the forum, and to serve as a general liaison between the DMC and the community. The DMC understands that locals
are the experts on their own communities, and we rely on them to invite their friends and neighbors to be a part of an
important conversation.

Conveners play a vital role in their communities and are in a key position to increase Alabamians involvement in
public work. They bring together diverse people and groups in their communities to do the hard work of citizens: making
decisions and taking action on issues of public concern. They are concerned citizens willing to engage their fellow citizens
on issues of public concern. Conveners demonstrate a willingness and ability to bring together disparate elements of a
community to engage with one another on an issue of public concern.

So what exactly is a forum? A deliberative forum is a unique way of bringing a community together to have a
conversation about an issue of public concern. Our forums involve citizens in defining local problems and identifying
community-driven solutions. They bring the public together in a neutral space where everyones input is respected, and
help community members find common ground for taking action to address the issues important to them.

Public deliberation is frequently confused with other forms of public conversation. For example, news stations and
talk shows are often styled like a fast-paced debate, in which a few participants compete, promote opinions, use
persuasion, and ultimately win by majority rule. That is not public deliberation. Deliberation is an often slower-paced mode
of communication in which all participants contributions are welcome. Together, a group weighs possible action ideas
against potential costs, consequences and tradeoffs. The goal of public deliberation is to identify shared common ground
and move to an integrative decision created and supported by the public. Many communities can benefit from public
deliberation, but each community must decide to take that step on its own. In order to do that, they must understand that
the goal of deliberation is to make decisions together. When conveners invite their fellow citizens to the table, they explain

that the goal of deliberation is not just to talk about an issue, but through the issue in order to uncover common ground for
collective action.
Preparing for the Forum

1. Find a Public Space to Host the Forum

When choosing a public space for your forum, consider places where citizens already gatherschools, churches, libraries,
community centers, etc. These are great spaces for hosting a forum as potential participants are likely already familiar with
and comfortable within the space. Do check to ensure that the space accommodates chairs or tables that can be arranged
so that participants can see each other throughout the forum. Be creative. Citizens can create public space in unlikely and
surprising places.

2. Engage Diverse Participation

For many conveners, getting citizens in the room, much less a diverse group of people and not just the usual folks that
show up to most community meetings constitutes the greatest challenge. Often, peoples work schedules are not flexible
enough to allow taking the time to show up to a forum, and sometimes the time and/or day of the forum may exclude a
portion of the population who might otherwise attend. Its important to ask about scheduling during the process of reaching
out to as many people in the community as possible.

Engaging diverse citizen participation in the forum is well worth the effort since a deliberative forum provides the ideal
space for citizensincluding citizens who disagreeto actively listen to diverse perspectives, think deeply about a public
issue, examine multiple approaches to that issue, uncover common ground, and, hopefully, make decisions to act together.

3. Getting the Word Out

When getting the word out about the forum, it is important to communicate to citizens through media they utilize. How do
citizens get information in your community? Consider how you might effectively utilize the following avenues of
communication: newspapers, press releases, posters and flyers, personal letters and invitations, email, social media, radio,
television, and other local media--or just word of mouth!

4. Convener Checklist

The following checklist and questions will help you convene a successful deliberative forum in your community.

- Study the Issue: Are you familiar with the issue, the issue guide, and how both apply to your community?
- Form Partnerships: Do you intend to form partnerships with other individuals or groups in your community to
engage diverse participation? How will you divide responsibilities?
- Choose a Date and Time: Think through the groups and individuals you hope to engage. Do you need to take into
account the local school schedule, or city calendar? Have you spoken with individuals who would like to attend,
but may have scheduling conflicts to keep in mind?
- Reserve a Venue: Is the public space you plan to use easily accessible to potential participants? Will they feel
comfortable in that space?
- Getting the Word Out: How do you intend to get the word out about the forum? What news and communication
outlets do folks in your community regularly access?
- Recruit Participants: Do you intend to invite participants, or recruit broadly?
- Provide Ways for Folks to Stay Connected: Have you prepared a sign-in sheet for participants to utilize? Have
you thought through alternative ways for citizens to remain connected after the forum?

For more information and helpful resources, visit www.mathewscenter.org.