Draft 1-Day Workshop Plan – Disarming Arguments

9.30 – registration and coffee etc

10.00 – welcome, introductions, ground rules, expectations, programme for day

– aims of Productive Conversations

– overview of 10-step process

10.15  – Step 1. Prepare – each write down on their own a list of doubts, things they don’t feel confident about when going into a meeting about nuclear weapons

– go-round to list these on flip-chart

– brainstorm how to address these or find answers

10.30 – Step 2. Open – how to start a conversation, use of props, challenges, etc

– roleplay openings in pairs and swap

10.45 – Step 3. Listen – discuss how and why important, some tips

– active listening exercise

– feedback

11.15 – short break

11.30 – Step 4. Affirm – discuss why important, what to affirm/not affirm

– hand out sheets with examples of pro-nuclear statements,

– in pairs discuss what you would affirm or not

– discuss

11.45 – Step 5. Clarify – explain importance of clarifying and paraphrasing

– give pro-nuclear rant and then ask for clarifying statements

– discuss

12.00 – Step 6. Question – presentation on questioning assumptions and facts

– handout on fact-checking, review

– in pairs, 4s and then all together, come up with questions and discuss

12.15 – Step 7. Following through – discuss when to question logic and when not

– handout on logical fallacies, review

– give pro-nuclear rant and ask to find fallacies

– discuss following through on the logic

12.30 – break for lunch

13.30 – Step 8. Feed – discuss not just what to feed in but how to do it

– brainstorm ways of feeding in new information to the pool of knowledge

– handout sheets with examples

– practice in pairs feeding in new information

– feedback

14.20 – wake up exercise

14.30 – step 9. Exploring alternatives – creative part

– exploring vs confronting

– creativity exercise

– rant, then explore in pairs, 4s and all together

– feedback

15.20 – short break

15.30 – Step 10. Summarise

– discuss summarising vs ‘forcing’ an agreement

– exercise to practice summarising

15.50 – running a public meeting on these lines/”Trialogue”

16.00 – concluding remarks, feedback, questions, follow-up, further help, review expectations from beginning, evaluation forms

16.30 – coffee and chat