A highlight of the CAFO2014 Summit for me was a workshop designed as a public discussion with Professor David Smolin. I’ve valued a growing friendship with David and our many conversations. Although we differ significantly on some issues, I felt it’d be very valuable for the CAFO community to hear and weigh Professor Smolin’s criticisms directly.
The goal was not debate. Yes, David and I would provide diverging views on important matters. But just as significant was to show how individuals can disagree – even sharply – and yet still interact with grace and civility, learning from and refining each other, and ultimately come out both wiser and closer as friends.
The workshop with Professor Smolin was a rich discussion. Afterward, the publisher of Adoption Today asked if we’d be willing to revisit the day’s dialogue via side-by-side articles in the magazine. The most recent edition of Adoption Today carries one set of those articles, one from me and one from Prof. Smolin.
You can view a pdf of the two articles here: Tension & Civility Part I & Tension & Civility Part II.
I’d also encourage adoptive parents, advocates and others to consider subscribing to Adoption Today at fosteringfamiliestoday.com, which carries a wide range of thoughtful articles ranging from attachment and trauma to global trends.
Finally, if you’d like to hear the audio of the CAFO2014 workshop, you can download it and other workshops at cafo.sonacart.com.