Living Room Conversations brings people from opposite ends of the political spectrum together—not to debate, not to convince. Just to talk. Led by citizen facilitators—everyday people, not professionals. Free for everyone.
There's an app for meeting friends, for dating, even for finding dinner companions. But nothing helps us talk to people we actually disagree with.
Our politics are more polarised than ever. We've sorted ourselves into communities of like-minded people and lost the habit—and the skill—of listening across difference.
This isn't just frustrating. It's making collective decision-making nearly impossible at the exact moment communities need it most.
Political polarisation is getting worse in Australia and globally—across almost every measure
Social media algorithms serve us content that confirms what we already think, reinforcing division
8–10 people from genuinely different political backgrounds. One citizen facilitator—a neighbour, not a professional. A structured conversation built to find common ground—not force it.
We meet in community centres and cafés, not lecture halls. Our facilitators are neighbours who care about their communities, not professional mediators with agendas. And every resource we use is free.
Facilitators are everyday people—neighbours who care about their community, not experts with opinions to push. A run sheet, ground rules, and support materials guide the session. No professional training required.
Deliberately cross-partisan. Not a random mix—genuine diversity of political perspective. Held in community centres, cafés, or someone's living room.
Personal stories first. Finding common ground second. Actions and next steps last. Designed around the principles of deliberative democracy.
Each phase has a clear purpose. The facilitator follows the run sheet—timing, questions, and facilitator notes included.
Welcome, introductions, housekeeping. Creating a safe, warm space before any difficult conversation begins.
Shared commitments made to each other—not rules imposed from above. Everyone agrees before the dialogue begins.
Everyone shares a personal experience that shaped how they see the topic. This is where empathy gets built. Small groups deepen the conversation.
Moving from positions to interests. Identifying shared values, concerns, and hopes. Exploring solutions together.
What one action will each person take? Would anyone like to continue these conversations—or become a facilitator themselves?
A final reflection round. Ending on a positive, hopeful note that honours what just happened in the room.
Shared at the start of every session. Commitments made to each other, not rules imposed from above.
Everything we've made—the run sheet, the training guide, the conversation agreement, this website—is released under CC0. No permission needed. No attribution required. Just take it and run with it.
This is the Australian instance. If you want to run this in your country, fork the GitHub repository and make it yours. Adapt for your context, your language, your community.
Run sheets, training guides, conversation agreements—all in Markdown, all in Git, all improvable.
Don't just copy a PDF. Fork the repository and adapt the methodology for your context.
Found a better way to handle a tough moment in a session? Submit a pull request.
Run your own version for your own community. Link back to us if you want to. Or don't.
Join the directory to connect with other facilitators, find people near you, or let communities know you're available to run or host a conversation.
You don't need a PhD in political science. You just need to believe that conversation is still possible.