Discover The Forum for Understanding
About Our Work
The Forum for Understanding:
Building Bridges Through Dialogue
In an era marked by increasing social division and isolation, The Forum for Understanding offers a transformative space where people learn to connect meaningfully across differences. This innovative initiative brings professional facilitation and proven collaborative techniques to the public sphere, helping participants develop the vital skills needed for respectful dialogue—even in the face of disagreement.
Why Now?
We live in challenging times. Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions, with social isolation affecting physical and mental health as profoundly as smoking or obesity. Communities are fractured by polarization, while many feel powerless in the face of seemingly insurmountable social challenges. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity: people's deep hunger for genuine connection and their capacity to bridge divides when given the right tools and support.
The Collaborative Practice Foundation
The Forum builds on the remarkable success of Collaborative Practice, a revolutionary approach to conflict resolution that has grown to include over 5,000 practitioners across 24 countries and has been codified into law in more than 20 states. This method brings together diverse professionals—attorneys, mental health professionals, financial planners, and other specialists—to help people navigate complex challenges through cooperation rather than confrontation.
Led by Nancy Ross, LCSW, one of the original architects of the Collaborative Practice model, The Forum for Understanding adapts these proven techniques for broader public engagement. With three decades of development and countless successful cases, this approach has demonstrated its power to transform conflict into connection.
What Makes This Different?
The Forum isn't just another discussion group—it's a professionally facilitated experience that creates the conditions for genuine breakthrough. Participants learn:
- Practical skills for engaging in difficult conversations
- Techniques for maintaining respect and connection during disagreement
- Ways to transform conflict into opportunities for deeper understanding
- Methods for building bridges across seemingly insurmountable differences
Nancy Ross herself will facilitate the initial public sessions, bringing her extensive expertise in creating safe spaces for transformative dialogue. The program will be supported by free educational materials available through multiple platforms, including Amazon and YouTube, making these vital skills accessible to all.
The Ripple Effect
When people experience the power of genuine dialogue and connection, something remarkable happens: they become carriers of hope and possibility in their communities. Like lighthouses, they naturally illuminate new ways of relating and problem-solving for others. With over 5,000 trained practitioners ready to support this initiative, The Forum for Understanding has the potential to catalyze waves of positive change in communities across the nation.
Join Us in Building a More Connected Future
While the challenges we face are real, the opportunity for transformation has never been greater. Through The Forum for Understanding, we're not just talking about change—we're creating it, one conversation at a time. By bringing together professional expertise, proven methodologies, and people's natural capacity for connection, we're building bridges where others see only walls.
Join us in this vital work of restoring hope, rebuilding community, and creating the future we all wish to see.