The CHART Process that was officially undertaken in January has made steady progress since then, and a major milestone was met this week with the approval of the contract for the consultants who will guide the community engagement process.
The goal of the process is not simply to decide about monuments and statues. It is designed to foster mutual understanding of shared values among individuals and groups with diverse backgrounds. Ultimately, citizens who participate will recommend to the Governing Body forward-looking solutions to historic problems.
Artful Life will soon move forward to hire and train community-engagement facilitators who will then proceed according to the plan that was approved unanimously by the Governing Body in January.
Community dialogue sessions designed to facilitate compassionate communication will consist of three rounds:
- Round One: personal identity and stories;
- Round Two: dialogue about core values;
- Round Three: generating solutions, recommendations, and responses.
A Community Solutions Table will include representatives who have participated in all three rounds, and will suggest solutions based on a combination of recommendations from dialogue session participants. Alternatively, residents will be able to make their voices heard by responding to a survey or engaging in one-on-one interviews.
Learn more and sign up to receive notifications about participating in the CHART Process here.
