Free Speech

What is free speech, why is it important, and when is it OK to limit free speech? With today's technology, it is easier than ever to practice free speech by connecting with our friends, blasting our thoughts and feelings out over social media, and posting the views of others. How can we best protect free speech? How do we know the difference between disagreeing, bullying, and hate speech? Should free speech guidelines be different for adults and kids? Why or why not?

In this conversation, you and other participants will explore questions around free speech. By practicing the conversation agreements and sticking to the three-round structure, you’ll learn more about how you and your peers think about the importance of free speech and the responsibilities we all face around it.

These are the agreements that you will follow during the conversation.

Be Curious and Open to Learning. Listen to and be open to hearing all points of view. Maintain an attitude of exploration and learning. Conversation is as much about listening as it is about talking.
Show Respect and Suspend Judgment Human beings tend to judge one another. Do your best not to. Setting judgments aside will better enable you to learn from others and help them feel respected and appreciated.
Look for Common Ground and Appreciate Differences In this conversation, we look for what we agree on and simply appreciate that we will disagree on some beliefs and opinions.
Be Authentic and Welcome that from Others Share what's important to you. Speak authentically from your personal and heartfelt experience. Be considerate to others who are doing the same.
Be Purposeful and to the Point Notice if what you are conveying is or is not “on purpose” to the question at hand. Notice if you are making the same point more than once.
Own and Guide the Conversation Take responsibility for the quality of your participation and the conversation by noticing what's happening, and actively support getting yourself and others back “on purpose” when needed.