“At its heart, intergroup dialogue is a sustained, intentional effort to bring diverse people together to collectively build something greater than any of us as individuals may accomplish. It requires respect for divergent voices, value for the unique and shared responsibilities individuals bring to the collective good, and a concerted effort to listen and understand multiple experiences and perspectives that derive from people's different connections to power and privilege.”

Excerpt From: Ximena Zuniga. “Dialogue Across Difference: Practice, Theory, and Research on Intergroup Dialogue.”

Intergroup dialogue is a social justice education program developed in the 1980s at the University of Michigan. Research based, IGD combines the theories of democratic education with experiential learning to facilitate conversations between members of social identity groups on controversial issues.

IGD is a curricular program based in research, which is continually and rigorously tested for efficacy. It involves trained facilitators leading an equal number of students from two social identity groups--such as students of color and white students, or men and women. The theories involved are based in social work, education, sociology, psychology, and peace and conflict studies.

There is a small group of faculty and staff who have gone through facilitator training, and are using it in the classroom.

You can contact IGD@colgate.edu for more information, or go to the Colgate University IGD page to learn more about the program. 

Roldan, Cyierra. "Intergroup Dialogue at Colgate University: Student Outcomes and Effects." Honors Senior Theses, Colgate University. May 2016. (currently offline)

• Educational Studies
• Peace & Conflict Studies
• Psychology
• Sociology