Dialogue, Disagreement & Democracy

Dialogue, Disagreement & Democracy is an interactive KNoT that supports students to engage thoughtfully and constructively with difference, disagreement and difficult conversations within university life and beyond.

Through facilitated discussion, reflection and practical activities, students will explore how identity, culture, values, lived experience and assumptions shape different perspectives, while developing skills in deep listening, curiosity, asking genuine questions, communicating across difference and expressing disagreement constructively. Students will practise understanding perspectives without necessarily agreeing with or endorsing them, navigating discomfort, recognising their own assumptions and moving beyond right/wrong binaries.

The KNoT will also critically examine the role of power and inequality in dialogue, including whose voices are heard, how marginalisation and discrimination shape participation, and when dialogue may not be appropriate or possible. Rather than seeking consensus or avoiding disagreement, the KNoT encourages students to approach difference with curiosity, critical reflection and an awareness of both the possibilities and limits of dialogue.

• The Psychological Safety Playbook (PDF): Lead more powerfully by being more human, by Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman - see sample chapter. Page Two Books.
• Section 5 in ANU Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030 which outlines the importance of respectful behaviour.
• Reflective Writing Resource: Reflective writing

Reflect on the session with reference to an experience or a project that you are involved in (250-300 words). Please include any resources generated, such as photos or worksheets.