Dialogues Across Differences Series

The Clarke Forum partners with the Dialogues Across Differences (DXD) project to enrich campus and community discussions, offer new perspectives, and create opportunities for dialogue about the contemporary issues that affect local and global communities. DXD introduces students to new ideas without the threat of derision or dignitary harm. Dickinson’s multi-pronged approach to teaching and promoting productive dialogue methods and techniques imparts strategies to create community agreements and expectations; ask questions that seek to build understanding, rather than operating from a place of fear; foster trust; and listen carefully—especially when there is disagreement.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Livestream Link

Program is Part of the Dialogues Across Differences Project

Open Inquiry and the Collegiate Mission

Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, Director of the Campus Free Expression Project, Council of Independent Colleges

Free expression, open inquiry, and civil discourse are threatened values in our country. Higher education institutions have an essential role in addressing this crisis and raising the bar for public discourse—but many colleges have themselves struggled to uphold these values at this time of polarization and disagreement over national and international events. A national expert on college speech and academic freedom, Dr. Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill will share her observations from campuses across the country—and how these concerns relate to Dickinson College founder Benjamin Rush’s vision for higher education in uniting a divided democracy.

Topic overview written by Supasinee Siripun ’27

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill is director of the Campus Free Expression Read more

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Program is Part of the Dialogues Across Differences Initiative

Bridging Differences in Difficult Times: A Science-Based Approach

Juliana Tafur, Director of the Bridging Differences program at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center

Over the past two decades, Americans have grown increasingly isolated and divided, fueling a loneliness epidemic and deepening distrust between groups. This social fragmentation threatens our emotional well-being, breeds prejudice, and even undermines the foundations of our democracy. Yet, despite these challenges, a majority of Americans long for unity: 7 in 10 say they feel a responsibility to connect with people who have different backgrounds and viewpoints, and when asked to imagine an ideal future, most envision a more united nation.

In this talk, Juliana Tafur, Bridging Differences Program Director at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley will introduce science-backed strategies for fostering connection. Rather than focusing solely on direct dialogue, she will highlight practical approaches—such as finding shared goals—that help people build bridges in ways that feel safe, meaningful, and effective. Grounded in research, this interactive session will translate theory into practice, allowing participants to not only understand but also experience the power of these strategies firsthand.

At a Read more

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Livestream Link

Program is Part of the Dialogues Across Differences Project

A New Divide – The Possibility for Dialogue

Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA

Since its founding in 2018, BridgeUSA has become the largest and fastest growing student movement in the country empowering young people to engage in constructive dialogue and healthy disagreement to improve our democracy. With over 60 college and 20 high school chapters and a network engaging 10,000 students, the journey of building BridgeUSA has led Manu to uncover some hidden truths about the possibility for constructive dialogue at one of the most divided times in American history.

This lecture will outline how students, faculty, and administrators can leverage BridgeUSA’s learnings to facilitate constructive dialogue and difficult conversations on campus. The possibility for a more pluralistic and open-minded future is strong- this lecture will posit how Dickinson College can help lead the way.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Program is Part of the Dialogues Across Differences Project

Creating a Calling In Culture within the Reproductive Health, Human Rights, and Justice Movements

Loretta Ross, Smith College

Professor Ross will speak on transforming the Calling Out Culture into a Calling In Culture within the Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice movements. She is committed to changing our national dialogue and improving our work on human rights by inviting us to deeply explore how we can most effectively affect change in our society to protect women’s human rights.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and is part of the Dialogues Across Differences Project, which is funded by a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. The program is also co-sponsored by the Women’s & Gender Resource Center, the Department of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and the Churchill Fund. In addition, it is part of the Clarke Forum’s Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty Series.

Topic overview written by Phuong Hoang ’26, Clarke Forum Student Project Manager

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Loretta J. Ross is an Associate Professor at Smith College. As a 2022 recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Read more

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium – 7 p.m.

Free Speech on Campus

Sigal Ben-Porath, Professor at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania

Free speech, a staple of modern democracy, has become the focal point for political and cultural forces impacting universities. Higher education is charged with the mandate to expand the boundaries of knowledge; to disseminate knowledge through teaching and other modes; and to serve the public by training citizens and leaders. To do so it must ensure that a broad range of views and approaches are discussed openly. But should all speech be protected in the name of free inquiry? Should the universities allow bigotry or exclusionary speech that targets specific groups? Should it make room for misinformation? Recent speech controversies around the globe expose the difficulty in carving a response in this polarized time. This struggle over the boundaries of speech is based in disagreement over core democratic principles. A democratic framework of inclusive freedom will be presented and defended. It reflects the values of protecting free thought, inquiry and expression, and maintaining a commitment to the dignity of all campus members.

This event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and is Read more