Meaningful Discussions in Monterey/Santa Cruz

Meaningful Discussions is the largest face-to-face discussion group with events taking place in 11 countries: 
http://www.meaningfuldiscussions.org

Our ongoing mission is to explore the art and science of meaningful discussions and to initiate these discussions in cities around the world. Our team has collectively coordinated over 1,000 events since 2012 and we have combined this experience into this project. 
Discussion Topics: 
We believe that discussion topics need to be intriguing, practical and relevant in order to be able to compete with the ever-growing list of television shows and other less engaging activities which lead to social isolation. 

Intentions For Our Discussions: 
Meaningful discussions are not debates or lectures. Each discussion is an opportunity for participants to collectively explore a topic with the following intentions:
1. To have an enjoyable and engaging experience with open-minded individuals while also improving our conversations skills.
2. To learn something new from each other by sharing our insights and unique perspectives based on our life experiences.
3. To learn something new about ourselves by re-examining our values and beliefs based on hearing new perspectives which we may or may not agree with.
4. To build a community of returning members and to create a conducive environment for new friendships.
How are we different from other discussion groups?
1. Structure. Most other discussion groups have a free-form structure where everyone is seated at a long table or in one large group. Our events have multiple groups of 5-7 people with one facilitator at each table and discussion questions provided.
2. Preparation Time. Most other discussion groups will provide a very brief outline of the topic. In contrast, we spend a lot of time creating topic packages which include Food For Thought videos and discussion notes.
3. Intention. Most discussion groups put more emphasis on the topic being discussed but not on actually creating a meaningful experience. In contrast, creating meaningful experiences is our primary focus and our mission.
What qualifications do you need to join this group?
All you need to join our group is an open-mind, humility in knowing that we all have lots to learn from other perspectives and a desire to improve your conversation skills while having fun at the same time.
For more information please visit: 
http://meaningfuldiscussions.org

Thanks to our sponsor: 
Buddytree - upgrade your social life with a friendship coach. https://buddytree.org