Commonwealth Club: An evening of intergenerational dialogue

On January 29th, Creating Citizens hosted Moving Forward Together, its second intergenerational program at the Commonwealth Club. Over 60 people between the ages of eight and 80 attended for an evening of discussion and learning. 

The evening’s goal was to share perspectives across generations, to listen deeply, and to leave with a renewed sense of collective responsibility. Deliberative dialogue is often missing from political discourse, and its absence creates deep divisions. Making space for intentional intergenerational discussions on a variety of issues heals these divides and builds consensus on important issues. 

To begin the program, participants met in small, age-diverse groups to discuss their assumptions about other generations and their hopes and fears for the future. Key takeaways included: the importance of active listening to build trust and empathy, the responsibility of each generation to support one another, and the need for young people to reach public office. Many expressed a sense of a generational disconnect and a hunger for meaningful intergenerational relationships. 

The conversation continued with a panel featuring democracy experts and educators, who shared insights on bridging generational divides and fostering civic engagement regardless of age. 

Sandra Bass, Senior Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director of the Public Service Center at UC Berkeley, encouraged young people to run for office, highlighting the need for a more diverse democracy. Alice Siu, Associate Director of the Deliberative Democracy Lab and Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law at Stanford University, stressed that mentorship is crucial, as middle and high school students look to adults to model what civic engagement should look like. Duf Sondheim, former Chairman of the California Republican Party, encouraged participants to act on their values and passions. He also underscored the need to engage the two-thirds of adults who won’t attend college, ensuring their voices, concerns, and desires are part of the civic conversation. 

By the end of the evening, one message was clear: building a more inclusive and participatory democracy requires ongoing engagement between generations. Deliberative discussions, focused on sharing opinions and building consensus, are a practice we can all use to strengthen our democracy. 

Creating Citizens is funded by the Koret Foundation as part of its Civic Education Initiative.