# The Centre for Responsible Debate > Discussion contentious issues with common purpose ## Posts - [School Workshop](https://responsibledebate.org/school-workshop/): (Blog preview) - [Freedom of Speech in UK Higher Education](https://responsibledebate.org/freedom-of-speech-in-uk-higher-education/): An Analysis of Current Practice in the Sector and its Interaction with the Changing Law. You can download our report here, for free. Just put your email address in and we will send it to you. - [Launch of Learning Resources](https://responsibledebate.org/launch-of-learning-resources/): Discussion of controversial issues often fails to yield a resolution, and it can also leave people feeling divided and angry or hurt over what the other people have said. It doesn’t help that media coverage of public debates often highlights the contributions that are most rage-inducing, funny, or extreme. But discussing controversial issues doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, debate can be collaborative and constructive, and a real opportunity to improve our ideas. To foster this sort of debate, in 2021 we and the Young Academy of Scotland published a Charter for Responsible Debate. This was the result of a […] ## Pages - [Cookie Policy (UK)](https://responsibledebate.org/home/cookie-policy-uk/) - [Freedom of Speech in UK Higher Education](https://responsibledebate.org/freedom-of-speech-in-uk-higher-education/): This report brings together a range of University policies on Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in the UK. It analyses these policies and sets them in context and offers possible ways forward. If you find this report useful, please do drop us a line to let us know, as it will help us to meet reporting requirements for our funders. - [Call to Action](https://responsibledebate.org/call-to-action/): Call to Action We call on politicians to pledge to respect principles of responsible debate in their political campaigning and policy making, and to prioritise methods of debate focused on finding shared purpose and working collaboratively to achieve common goals. We call on people involved in high profile public debates to reflect on principles of responsible debate in their discussions of contentious issues with others and to work to reduce power imbalances and increase inclusivity in public debate. We call on news outlets to highlight violations of the principles of responsible debate and discuss ways that they undermine constructive public […] - [Learning Resources](https://responsibledebate.org/learning-resources/): Learning Resources One thing we have learnt through our work on the Charter for Responsible Debate is that merely agreeing to adopt some principles is not enough to change the culture of our public discussions. Doing this will require internalising principles like the ones in our charter more deeply in our daily practice. To this end, we have developed some learning resources to help people who are interested in learning more about responsible debate and how to embed this into their daily practice.  Below you can find a series of six worksheets, accompanied by a set of short videos in which […] - [Media and Publications](https://responsibledebate.org/media-and-publications/): We have published a number of newspaper articles, opinion pieces, blog pieces, policy consultancy, academic research, and interviews on our work about responsible debate. These can be found below Freedom of Speech in UK Higher Education Report This report is an analysis of institutional policies in relation to Freedom of Speech across a section of Universities who have engaged with the issue. It compares approaches, analyses them and offers possible ways forward. - [Events](https://responsibledebate.org/events/): We have taken part in a wide range of events across Scotland and beyond, from panel discussions and podcasts to training workshops and debating competitions. If you want us to contribute to an event you are organising, please contact us. upcoming events Ethics cup 2o February 2026 Tools for teaching responsible debate 27 January 2026 previouS events Ethics Cup Regional Final 6 December 2024 Time for a responsible debate? At CuRious 9 September 2024 Scottish Parliament Festival of Politics 23 August 2024 an EXPERIMENT COLLABORATIVE debate 22 March 2024 gossip as subversion 11 march 2024 social media for peacebuilding 7 […] - [Our Charter](https://responsibledebate.org/the-charter/): YAS Charter for Responsible Debate The Young Academy of Scotland proposes nine general principles for responsible public debate. These are grounded in an ideal of informed, respectful and inclusive collective decision-making. The Charter is designed as a starting point to support discussion amongst those who initially disagree, but who listen well to each other in pursuit of common ground and inclusive solutions. We encourage people to adapt and refine the principles for more specific contexts. Informed Respectful Inclusive The Process Democratic politics has always been a place of discussion, disagreement and debate. However, recent political debates seem to be increasingly […] - [Services](https://responsibledebate.org/services/): We offer a variety of services – from in-person workshops to online coaching – designed to equip people with the knowledge and skills needed to participate positively in challenging discussions. Consultancy Services The Centre for Responsible Debate offers a range of consultancy services to help organisations and individuals conduct effective and inclusive debate. If you need help with creating a better quality of debate we can assist in designing consultation strategies, facilitating workshops and focus groups, and analysing feedback to inform decision-making. Advice and Guidance The Centre for Responsible Debate offers a range of advice and guidance services to support individuals and organisations […] - [Home](https://responsibledebate.org/): The Centre for Responsible Debate is grounded in the belief that there are better ways to discuss contentious issues than we witness in much contemporary culture. Instead of seeking to ‘win’ in the marketplace of ideas, we believe debate can and should help us to find shared purpose and inclusive solutions, even amongst those who disagree deeply. Inclusive and respectful dialogue is essential for addressing the many challenges that face us. By contrast, adversarial styles of debate, in person and online, can drive conflict. Our mission is to support individuals and organisations to get better at discussing contentious issues with […] - [Latest](https://responsibledebate.org/report/): Latest posts on the blog In August 2024, we co-hosted an event with the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics, chaired by Ben Macpherson MSP and with panellists Alice König, Quintin Oliver, John Sturrock and Vitalii Diakov. Reflecting on the Scottish Parliament’s 25 years of political debate, this panel discussion considered what we need to change about our current habits of discussion and debate so that we are better able to address the challenges that face us, locally and globally.  Overline YAS Report on Responsible Debate We edited a report for the Young Academy of Scotland on Responsible Debate: Discussing Contentious Issues with […] - [Privacy Policy](https://responsibledebate.org/home/privacy-policy/): Who we are Suggested text: Our website address is: http://responsibledebate.org. Comments Suggested text: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment. Media Suggested […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)