WKU News

A Deliberative Dialogue on Safety & Justice, hosted by WKU’s Center for Citizenship & Social Justice, will offer WKU students an opportunity to engage in a moderated discussion exploring the question, “How Should Communities Reduce Violence?” The Deliberative Dialogue will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 20) in Downing Student Union, room 3004.

Participants will have a roundtable discussion addressing questions such as, “How should we ensure that Americans of all backgrounds are treated with respect and fairness?”; “What should we do to ensure that the police have the support they need to fairly enforce the law?”; “To what degree do racial and other forms of bias distort the justice system?”; “What should we do as citizens to help reduce violence of all kinds in our communities and the nation as a whole?”; “How should communities increase safety while at the same time ensuring justice?”

Using the Deliberative Dialogue model, participants will explore these critical questions together. The Deliberative Dialogue was first introduced to WKU students last semester while discussing climate change. Following its success, WKU CCSJ decided to continue hosting dialogues each semester.

“The Deliberative Dialogue model is needed now more than ever given the challenges we currently face as a nation," said Leah Ashwill, director of WKU CCSJ. "Our polarized communities need students with the skills to lead productive discourse, so they can serve as valuable leaders of organizations within their communities and address complicated issues, reaching viable solutions to public problems.”

As moderator, Amanda Beavin, an undergraduate student in Sociology with a CSJ Minor, said: “I think the most exciting part of it is what can be taken away. The issue we are addressing, police relations and violence, can be very hard to talk about. Whether this is due to ignorance on both sides, or uncomfortableness with a sensitive topic, this discussion empowers me to begin to talk about difficult topics. This is the very first step in creating change.”

Nga Nguyen, a graduate assistant for CCSJ, expects students to present a diverse range of opinions regarding safety and justice.

“Many Americans and even the international students like me are concerned with increasing violence in communities that is undermining the national ideals of safety and justice for all,” Nga Nguyen said. “I hope this Deliberative Dialogue will prepare WKU students to seek common ground and a deeper understanding of ‘Safety & Justice’ in order to help build consensus on how solutions are reached when reducing the violence in our country.”

The Deliberative Dialogue is free and open to the public, and registration is required at https://www.wku.edu/ccsj/programs/deliberative-dialogue.php. Refreshments will be provided.

For information about WKU CCSJ's Deliberative Dialogue on Safety & Justice, contact leah.ashwill@wku.edu or call (270) 745-3217.

Contact: CCSJ, (270) 745-3217