National Issues Forums (NIF) provide everyday citizens an opportunity to purposefully and carefully deal with our most challenging public problems. For over 25 years, people have come together in NIF-style forums across the country to deliberate on the urgent and important public issues where reasonable citizens disagree strongly and deeply.
· Participants often find themselves considering some actions they thought they would easily oppose–they’re willing to set aside their assumptions.
· Similarly, people sometimes discover hidden costs and consequences in actions they thought they would support–they’re willing to see the issue as complex.
· Participants gather to learn together, not to simply persuade or advocate–they’re open to new ideas and perspectives.
· Citizens move from making individual choices to making choices as members of a better informed and more connected community–they show respect and build trust in how they talk and how they act.