Established by Collaborative Scotland during the Scottish independence campaign, the commitment to respectful dialogue sets the tone of how we communicate and converse with each other.
The commitment is to:
- Show respect and courtesy towards all those who are engaged in these discussions, whatever views they hold;
- Acknowledge that there are many differing, deeply held and valid points of view;
- Use language carefully and avoid personal or other remarks which might cause unnecessary offence;
- Listen carefully to all points of view and seek fully to understand what concerns and motivates those with differing views from our own;
- Ask questions for clarification and when we may not understand what others are saying or proposing;
- Express our own views clearly and honestly with transparency about our motives and our interests;
- Respond to questions asked of us with clarity and openness and, whenever we can, with credible information;
- Look for common ground and shared interests at all times.
