Both Thomas Jefferson and John Dewey emphasized the role of education in equipping each generation to be “the guardians of their own liberties”. As a society, we need to be more intentional about that education, which can be informal – obtained through service learning and opportunities to listen and learn from each others (that is, transmitted from citizen to citizen). That education also, however, needs to build the literacy and critical thinking skills that have been identified as essential for 21st century citizenship by numerous organizations, including the Minority Student Achievement Network: (“. . . life in the 21st century United States will demand that its inhabitants be flexible thinkers and expert communicators”) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (Jan. 10, 2007 report on 21st century skills). The open discussions that characterize dialogue move well beyond debate on positions and instead allow citizens to share and directly learn from each other's experiences and perspectives. Effective dialogue promotes development of both the communication and critical thinking skills needed for effective citizenship. It also builds relationships. Because the process provides a more organic than linear interaction with community issues and needs, it has a greater potential for reaching a diverse set of individuals. This interaction – which has the potential to change how and with whom we interact with outside of the dialogue process – can lead to more rapid and natural culture change than approaches that target a specific issue or need.