LEARNING CIRCLES

The Proud Majority uses Learning Circles to facilitate highly effective and interactive group discussions. Each session focuses on a specific topic associated with America’s core values and principles. Our structured process ensures a safe and welcoming environment for optimal learning.

The goal is to build, share, and express knowledge through open dialogue and deep reflection.
  • The topic can be based on our white papers, which will be distributed a week before the actual meeting.
  • The meeting begins with a brief introduction of the topic.
  • The discussion is guided by the problem statement and the list of potential questions. The facilitator will not express an opinion, but will guide the discussion and ensure guidelines are followed.
  • Ideas not directly related to the topic may be recorded on the parking lot for later consideration.

The Proud Majority Facilitated Meeting Principles

The Proud Majority provides speakers and facilitated discussions on topics associated with America’s history and core values. Our sessions deliver optimal learning-experiences through techniques such as Socratic Method and group brainstorming. These techniques ensure a safe and welcoming environment where participants can explore answers to their own questions. To achieve optimal results, participants will be asked to adhere to the following principles:
• Truth – Although elusive, we strive to understand “Absolute truth”. Absolute Truth is true at all times and is the actual state of a matter. Subjective Truth, on the other hand, refers to the freedom to define your own truth based on false religiosity or centered on personal experiences. Our goal is to learn the absolute truth.
• Open-Mindedness – All participants in the meeting should place greater personal priority on learning over convincing. As Steven Covey stated, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”. Strong listening skills make our sessions more rewarding and give us a greater probability of uncovering absolute truth.
• Patience and Respect – All participants are welcome to articulate questions and viewpoints. Because language is a very limited way for communicating feelings and concept, adequate effort needs to be exerted to help uncover the underlying thoughts or meaning that is trying to be communicated.
• Inclusiveness – Our group it much more successful when all sides of a discussion are welcomed and presented. We seek to find a broad and comprehensive understanding of complex topics by asking philosophic questions. We discourage cultish or dogmatic interpretations of truth.
• Methodology – Our success is dependent upon proven philosophic methods. All official group meetings will utilize a facilitator or facilitation team that is proficient with Socratic Method and managing meetings.
• Continuous Improvement – Organizations rarely maintain a status quo and are either improving or regressing. This is especially true of growing groups with many new members. In order to continue to improve we rely heavily on Quality Assurance and Post-Meeting Reviews.

Facilitation Principles – These are designed to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for optimal learning. The facilitator will ensure these principles are enforced during the discussion.

Specific Topics – Each session will focus on a topic that participants will think about before the meeting.  An example: finding the optimal balance between liberty and equality.    There are multiple conceptions of what these terms mean.  Our Learning Circles will present these differences and discuss the history and philosophy of the various sides.