-> Listen carefully to find the gem. -> Build on each other's comments. -> Honour those elements of the dialogue for which we feel gratitude. -> Recognize that each person has a piece of the puzzle. -> Identify the common threads that connect us in this dialogue. -> Ask questions that open new views: What-if… -> Diagram the dialogue as a tree to encourage focused interactions. -> Note the underlying assumptions of what is said. -> Paraphrase dialogues to deepen understandings and minimize misconceptions. -> Listen to what the heart says. Wisdom begins in Wonder.

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about Life, ourselves, and the World around us. - Socrates Another of the Natural laws is that all life is equal. That's our philosophy. You have to respect life -- all life, not just your own. The key word is 'respect'. Oren Lyons Faithkeeper Socratic Dialogue is an idea spawned from Socrates, a teacher and philosopher in 400s BC Ancient Greece. His methods of holding dialogue in a circular forum set the stage for empowering people to think for themselves and ask questions. Down At The Forum has expanded upon this platform to equally honour Native concepts and expressed the characteristics of a Forum to include: