The best discourse, in my opinion, is one in which everyone is heard. It is one in which everyone is an expert I am not at all fond of using stages and podiums and that sort of thing to establish a hierarchy within the room.
I like a kind of modified talking stick method. In this method, everyone is guaranteed to be heard as long as they want to talk. Once everyone has been heard, then the idea bouncing can happen.
By having everyone be heard first, you establish a couple of things, First everyone is equal. Second, there is an atmosphere of respect in the ensuing conversation.
Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes someone doesn’t get the idea of respect and they take too much time or wander off topic. Sometimes someone is too aggressive – they just don’t get it. They think they are there for arguments (the person I have in mind is a lawyer—go figure).
If a group meets for a long period of time, a community starts to form. A culture develops. People learn how to help each other support the culture of the group.
When you do it this way, everyone is an expert. Their expertise comes from their life. No one can impeach your life experiences, so there can be no argument. And if a person tries to say you didn’t experience what you experienced—well, I think everyone will laugh.
I believe that a large portion of what I know or have figured out in life comes from such situations. Yes, I’ve been in lectures and watch shows on TV, but the most valuable knowledge I believe comes from mutually created knowledge.