Forming a Diverse Planning Group The effort that goes into planning the conversation determines its success. A diverse planning group is essential. Diverse people bring a diverse set of experiences, understandings, and perspectives to the conversation. The group will then be in the best position to develop a program that appeals to the variety of people who will participate and to find appropriate discussion leaders. For assistance in putting together such a planning group, you might want to look to organizations in your community that represent various religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. They will probably be pleased to ask some of their members to join the group, whether or not any of the organizations are cosponsoring the conversations. The planning group has these major functions: identifying existing groups as conversation partners, selecting discussion leaders, determining the content—(topics, starters, resources), choosing a conversation format, working out logistics, identifying participants, and inviting participants. Next tip: Partnering with Existing Groups