A Community Conversations forum held at Central College Tuesday aimed to further the idea that civility is key in having quality discussions.
Jeff Kluever with the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University led the interactive session, and tells KNIA/KRLS News the dozens of residents in attendance engaged with each other to help learn about tools to become more civil in everyday life.

Kluever says the aim of the pilot program created by the National Institute for Public Civility is to fight the trend of declining discourse in the country and in communities across the nation.
“Civility starts with the actions I take and the words that I say, and I’m not waiting for someone else to be more civil to give me permission to be more civil,” he says. “I can make that choice and I can control that in all of the situations that I encounter, and the tools that we provide help people do that.”
Pella Christian student Lindsay Breon was the youngest participant in the room, but felt she was able to engage in her passion for politics with fellow citizens, and says she learned a lot about how to be a more civil person when engaging others about issues.
“What my generation of teenagers and younger is growing up with is seeing that being rude is cool and dominating an issue is the only way to get your way,” Breon says. “And so seeing the appropriate way to accomplish issues was very reassuring.”
“It’s a possibility to be civil.”
Breon will be attending the Junior State of America Debate Program at Princeton from August 8th through the 11th, and she plans to use some of the resources provided when making conversation with other students. Hear more about the Community Conversations Forum on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.