JUNE 3 – Today, President Barack Obama will launch a major public engagement initiative during a full-day conference at the White House. National Dialogue on Mental Health: Creating Community Solutions will include a public education campaign and national dialogue around issues of mental health. The centerpiece of the national dialogue is large-scale engagements in ten …
Read More →Who will lead the effort? The co-sponsors are KCK Mayor Mark Holland and KCMO Mayor Sly James. They will appoint a small steering committee of 8-10 persons who will help make the dialogue a success, such as by helping to recruit participants. After the event, we will expand the steering committee as needed to help …
Read More →There are so many barriers to working together to solve problems. Some people refuse to let those barriers stand in the way, and they’re who we want to honor. In November, Consensus will honor its second group of individuals and projects for bringing civility to public life. Consensus seeks to give an award for individuals …
Read More →Higher education has historically enjoyed broad public support. Until recently, most state legislatures regularly increased support for public colleges and universities. Most students and families believed their own investment in higher education was bound to pay off. But now, as concerns about higher education and the country’s future mushroom, there are considerably more questions about …
Read More →How to tame the logistics involved in your small-group discussion In 2013, Consensus is helping replace the old public hearing model, which citizens don’t like, with small groups, which work so much better. Every newsletter will include an article about small groups and how to use them. The February article covered the benefits of small …
Read More →2013: The Year of the Small Group In Infinite Jest, author David Foster Wallace imagined a world in which years have sponsors, like the Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar or the Year of Dairy Products from America’s Heartland. In the spirit of that groundbreaking (and almost infinite) American novel, Consensus hereby declares 2013 the …
Read More →Community celebrates six who personify civility The first class of Consensus Civility Award winners were honored November 13 at a breakfast in the Greenlease Library at Rockhurst University. The honorees ranged from a Catholic priest with a commitment to social justice to a corporate executive who engaged the region in identifying five big ideas, and …
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