Dialogue Across Differences

In a moment when classrooms and communities everywhere are mirrors of society’s divisions, Dialogue Across Differences affirms a simple but powerful truth: respect, dignity, and shared purpose best live in practice. Dialogue Across Differences equips our community with the skills, mindsets, and opportunities to engage constructively across perspectives, identities, and experiences.

Leadership and Partnership

At the heart of Dialogue Across Differences are our students. This initiative calls on their pedagogical skills, professional experiences, entrepreneurial energy, and leadership to shape and guide its direction. Through efforts like the Courageous Conversations Fund, students can apply for grants to pilot projects that create new channels for dialogue and exchange.

"Our charge as educators is to engage in dialogue such that differences are not a barrier to progress, but the very means by which it is made." – Dean Nonie Lesaux

This is shared work. It thrives through partnership among peers, with faculty, and with the communities we serve. Together, we will strengthen HGSE’s tradition of open inquiry and build a culture where difficult conversations are opportunities to learn, connect, and lead.

Resources:

• Harvard University's Dialogue Across Differences
• Harvard Kennedy School's Candid & Constructive Conversations
• Harvard T.H. Chan School's LEADs (Learn & Engage Across Differences)
• Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics' Civil Disagreements series
• HGSE Empowerment & Impact Fellows