Colorado State University’s Center for Public Deliberation has released a final report of findings from the first-ever “Community Issues Forum: The Art of Belonging” held in April.
The Art of Belonging forum was convened by the City of Fort Collins’ Department of Sustainability and the CPD with the goal of bringing together city residents to talk about what it means to “belong” in the Fort Collins community. Student facilitators from the CPD helped plan and run the forum, collecting 1,250 pieces of data collectively shared by 95 diverse attendees. Thirty-nine percent of participants identified as a person of color and 25 percent identified as a part of the LGBTQ community.
The report summarizes key findings that emerged during the analysis of the data, including barriers to belonging, the key public issues that need the most improvement to increase a sense of belonging, and suggestions for how the city and community players — such as nonprofits, businesses and schools — can approach gaps in belonging.
Affordability of living in the area, access to city government and neighborhood dynamics and community events were the most frequently reported gaps in belonging. Some of the suggestions to alleviate these gaps included diversifying staff, increasing collaboration, providing education and creating accessible options throughout the city.
Overall, the forum served as a catalyst for additional conversations and community actions around issues tied to inclusion and diversity issues in Fort Collins. The CPD hopes that this report serves as a useful tool to spark multiple next steps in the community, supported by numerous organizations and individuals. Read the full report at http://col.st/ZSHoU.
In an analysis of surveys following the event, it was found that there was no significant difference between minority and majority members in feeling heard, feeling respected and having the opportunity to speak. “This indicates that it is possible to discuss difficult and oftentimes personal community issues in productive ways,” says Kalie McMonagle, CSU Department of Communication Studies graduate student, CPD associate and one of the report’s key authors.
The Center for Public Deliberation serves as an impartial resource to the northern Colorado community. Working with students trained in small group facilitation, the CPD assists local government, schools boards and community organizations by researching issues and developing useful background material, and then designs, facilitates and reports on innovative public events.
