Sustained Dialogue Institute
In a powerful conversation with Ezra Klein, conflict resolution facilitator and author of The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker reflects on her formative experience with Sustained Dialogue at the University of Virginia, and why the United States needs to gather across differences more than ever.
When Parker and her peers launched SD circles at the University of Virginia in 2001, they learned something crucial. The most transformative groups weren't just diverse; they brought together students with clear, specific differences: College Republicans and LGBTQ+ students, Jewish American and Arab American students.
"We had incredible conversations. We went into territory we barely ever get to go into." [...] "Everyone knew exactly why they were in the room. That clarity created the container for genuine depth."
Parker's insight is urgent: "If Americans don't gather more and across differences, we'll slide further into authoritarianism. The antidote is connection."
We need spaces where people can practice building relationships across cultural, political and generational differences; the kind of relationships that a strong democracy requires. This is the work Sustained Dialogue has honed in colleges, communities and workplaces over the last 20+ years.
Watch the excerpt below, in which Priya reflects on those UVA circles and her training with former diplomat and founder of the Sustained Dialogue Institute, Dr. Harold Saunders.
What role can Sustained Dialogue play in your community?
hashtag hashtag hashtag Sustained Dialogue Institute
Full interview and transcript: Is Your Social Life Missing Something? This Conversation Is for You. Published on Feb. 3, 2026
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-priya-parker.html
10/24/2025
We see Alaska Humanities Forum on the registration and we smile here!
What kind of professional development do staff do at the Forum? The short answer: a lot.
All Forum staff have a yearly PD budget to use on learning skills and building relationships that help them in their work. Here’s a sample of just a few of the things our programs staff have done recently:
🔅Facilitating Collaborative Innovation (Co:Creative Cooperative)
🔅Sustained Dialogue Moderator Skill Series (Sustained Dialogue Institute)
🔅Our Cultural Landscape Culturally Responsive Education Conference (Sealaska Heritage Institute)
🔅The Art of Hosting (Harvest Moon Consulting)
🔅Leadership Summit (The Foraker Group)
🔅Developing Core Practices of Evaluation (Federation of State Humanities Councils)
🔅Equity-Centered Storytelling (Storytellers for Change)
🔅Managing to Change the World (Management Center)
07/24/2025
Student voices were at the center of the Sustained Dialogue Summer Leaders' Summit this weekend! The impact? New skills, deeper self and social-awareness, and a growing community of young leaders committed to dialogue-driven change.
Thanks to our co-host Amy Cohen, Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director, Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service at The George Washington University, and all the contributors who co-created this powerful gathering: Rhonda Fitzgerald, Elena Martínez Torres, Elizabeth Wuerz, Ana King Garcia, Anne Butcher, Christina Ciambriello, Cordell Billups, M.A., & Kyle O'Dell
11/25/2024
🌟 Fridays at 1 PM: Virtual Sustained Dialogue Training (December 2024) 🌟
Ready to make a difference in your community and beyond? Join us for three weekly 4-hour sessions this December to master Sustained Dialogue skills—a powerful process that brings diverse groups together to build relationships and foster collaboration.
🗓️ When? Fridays, Dec 6th, 13th & 20th at 1 PM (EST) / 10 AM (PDT)
💻 Where? Zoom – join from anywhere!
✨ Why?
✅ Learn practical tools to navigate complex conversations
✅ Build relationships across differences and create meaningful change
✅ Gain valuable skills for leadership, teamwork, and conflict transformation
🚀 Don’t miss this opportunity to grow as a changemaker!
🎟️ Sign up today and secure your spot:
Fridays at 1pm: Virtual Sustained Dialogue Training (December 2024) Join us weekly for 3, 4-hour sessions to learn Sustained Dialogue, a process that helps diverse groups build relationships & work together
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Category
Contact the organization
Website
Address
Washington D.C., DC
20029
