The facilitators and minute-takers were selected from the active members of the MEC. They possessed an understanding of the history of the education issue in Margaree and the fundamentals of facilitating (not dominating) small meetings. The facilitators had the responsibility to ensure that all participants had equal voice and that the agenda was covered. The minute-takers were responsible to record the full range of opinions as objectively as possible. At the end of the meeting, the minutes were read back to the group to ensure that they reflected what had been said.

The agenda for the first round of meetings was general and open-ended; facilitators were asked to make sure the following questions were considered:

• Do you have any concerns about the education system as you know it in Margaree? If so, what might they be?
• Are you aware of the potential closure of the Margaree Forks School?
• How strongly do you feel about keeping a school in the Margaree Community?
• What do you think is needed for the successful education of Margaree students?

The agenda for the second round of meetings was more specific, and intended to guide deliberation on possible solutions for education in Margaree. Invitations to participants stated the following objectives:

• to focus the opinions of each neighbourhood
• to evaluate the options for education in our community
• to "brainstorm" strategies to realize our goals
• to elect a representative of each neighbourhood who will become a member of the "planning team."

The invitation to the third round of neighbourhood meetings, called "Forum III" state the following: "The purpose of Forum III is to gather your input on the work of the Coalition to date, and to incorporate your ideas into the document "Strategy for Education in Margaree."

Deliberation Vs. Debate

In conducting the kitchen forum meetings, the facilitation teams used techniques to encourage the free expression of opinions, without judging the ideas or the participants. It was emphasized that an environment of trust was necessary to enable the ideas and concerns of every participant to be considered by the group, without prejudice. This process of deliberation, in contrast to normal debate, encourages neighbours to understand differing opinions, to evaluate ideas more objectively and to arrive at conclusions through consensus, with the support of the group as a whole. This process does not preclude dissenting or minority opinions. These were recorded and identified as such. Deliberation has the advantage of using everyone's opinions in determining the outcomes, resulting in the on-going support and participation of a greater number of community members.

In order to record the ideas as they were' voiced and to stimulate thought, flip charts were most effective. The minute-takers were able to use these sheets to organize the report of each meeting. The flip charts also allowed participants to prioritize the issues and actions and to ensure that the minutes were accurate reflections of the discussions.