The CU Dialogues Program responds to the need for concrete, meaningful cross-cultural communication and interaction on campus. Dialogues are highly effective in bridging differences based on ethnic or cultural background, socio-economic status, age, gender, and level of education. Person-to-person exchange fosters respect for individuals and encourages mutual understanding. Dialogues are especially well-suited for fostering thoughtful discussion of complex, sometimes contentious issues or topics within classroom settings. Facilitated dialogues create a comfortable space in which all participants feel they have a voice. The fact that dialogues are professionally facilitated takes the fear out of talking openly about issues of race, class, gender, age and ethnicity and encourages participants to speak honestly about their own views. At the same time, the act of listening respectfully to the views of others deepens participants’ understanding of perspectives other than their own.