Abridged FreeIC Manifesto

This is the abridged version of our Manifesto. Free Intelligent Conversation (FreeIC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating meaningful face-to-face conversations between strangers. We want to meet people, learn from them, and use what we’ve learned to make the world a better place. FreeIC.org.

Free Intelligent Conversation is a movement for those interested in learning from everyone they encounter. It is a place for the curious, the jaded, the academic, the self-taught, the skeptic, and the believer. It is a movement for those looking to improve themselves and the world around them through meaningful conversations.

You Are Intelligent

Intelligence is a process of acquiring knowledge, not an achievement. An intelligent conversation is one where we gain knowledge from whom we are speaking with. Making intelligent conversations a regular part of our lives requires us to continually attempt to learn from the people we encounter. With Free Intelligent Conversation we want to learn from everyone we meet and believe that the value of our individual insights is reason enough to seek each other out. We believe that by continually striving to learn from others we can improve ourselves and the world around us.

Social Freedom of Speech

The exchange and evaluation of ideas is our greatest mechanism for individual and collective development. Individuals who exchange ideas are more dynamic; their minds are breeding grounds for new ideas, innovations, and introspection. Despite the benefits of exchanging ideas, we perpetually hinder this process by unwittingly discouraging people from sharing their thoughts. In our day-to-day interactions, people are often apprehensive about speaking freely due to a fear of unfavorable judgement and punishment. Free Intelligent Conversation promotes social freedom of speech: an understanding between communicating parties that the environment is one where anything can be said and everyone gets the benefit of the doubt. In this way we create sacred spaces where no topic is taboo and participants know they can speak freely and without the fear of harsh judgement.

Celebrating our Differences

We believe our differences should be distinctive, not divisive. While it is convenient and at times necessary for us to congregate with people like us, we must make a regular practice of seeking out those we label as different. At Free Intelligent Conversation we believe it to be in our individual and collective interest to inform ourselves about each other’s differences. We believe the best way to learn from our differences is to engage in conversation. Free Intelligent Conversation creates places where we seek out, learn from, and celebrate each other’s differences through conversation.

Conversation in Cities

Cities are enhanced when the communities within are connected. Cities are centers of activity for ideas, commerce, productivity, science, and social development. Cities provide the best opportunity for social and economic advancement. To capitalize on the advantages that cities offer there must be ongoing opportunities to convene, collaborate, and converse amongst the various communities within. Free Intelligent Conversation creates opportunities for socio-economic mixing and generates positive contact between people of different social groups, by means of meaningful face-to-face conversations in public spaces.

Meaningful Conversations

Meaningful conversations are conversations that catalyze long-term changes in behavior, attitude, and/or perspective. They are the conversations that call us to be vulnerable and empathetic. They call us to speak our truths and also to hear the truths of others — the truth about who they are, and why they are. In our society, there are few places designated to creating and having meaningful conversations, as a solution Free Intelligent Conversation creates public spaces for meaningful conversations.

Face-to-Face Conversations

Face-to-face interaction improves our ability to communicate and connect with people. As we spread our online relationships wide and thin on social media, the value of each connection is lessened and the benefits we gain from each connection decreases. It is often difficult, if not impossible, on social media to recreate the conditions that define deep, intimate relationships. Free Intelligent Conversation is creating face-to-face conversations as a counter-cultural response to social isolation. Our goal is to be present and remove distractions to have focused, uninterrupted dialogue.

Talking to Strangers

The world is a big crowd we often feel alone in. We have friends and family in certain pockets of the world, but most of our interactions involve strangers. We often feel isolated even though we share spaces with and are surrounded by people. This seems unnecessary, considering that strangers just are people we don’t know yet. Free Intelligent Conversation is creating places where strangers can meet, talk, and have public opportunities for positive interactions. We believe that by making conversation with strangers more accessible we can positively transform both individuals and the communities, cities, and countries that they live in.

Conclusion

We know that getting strangers to talk to each other is a tall order. We’ve been told that we’re too idealistic. Some people think we want their money. Others think it’s a trick or hoax. Some people are suspicious and want to know “who we work for” or “why we’re really here.” Some find it impossible to conceive that there could be a group of people interested in just talking to others. Some recognize that — in some small way — we want to change the world; and they smile sympathetically at us, feeling sure that the world can’t really be changed like this.

What they don’t know is that we’ve been changed.

We’ve been inspired. We’ve broken out of our comfort zones. We’ve heard stories that have made us laugh, and we’ve had conversations that have brought us to tears. We’ve gotten dates and we’ve been offered jobs. We’ve learned how to be present. We’ve learned about different cultures, and how to appreciate them. We gained insight about ourselves. We learned how to disagree without becoming enemies. We’ve had long chats with our elders. We’ve been given great advice, and have been a listening ear to many. We’ve heard new ideas and we’ve heard dumb ideas. We’ve changed our long held opinions and we’ve let go of previously held prejudices. We’ve made great friends — all from taking time to talk with strangers.

We want to encourage people to have meaningful, face-to-face conversations and we will create designated places for them to happen. A place where we can learn about the experiences of others, and be vulnerable, honest, and inquisitive. We want to create these places in every city. Our hope is that these designated places will attract and nurture a particular kind of person. The kind of person who tries to learn from everyone they meet. The kind of person that cultivates authentic relationships, and puts away their devices to interact with the real world. The kind of person who looks for ways to engage with their community and broaden their social networks in meaningful ways. The kind of person who can communicate across generational, cultural, and ideological boundaries. We believe this kind of person will change the world for the better.

There are a lot of problems in the world and though we don’t have the answers to them, we believe that the first step towards a solution is to get people to talk to each other. We believe that we can solve these problems one conversation at a time.

If you see us holding a sign that reads “Free Intelligent Conversation,” come talk to us. About what? About anything and everything. The only thing needed for an intelligent conversation is willing individuals. We’re willing.

Are you?