Socrates Café: FGCU’s new free speech initiative

Reporter: Olivia Jean
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News

Florida Gulf Coast University believes everyone can teach someone something. The school is making strides to support free speech with a new initiative called Socrates Café.

It’s a forum promoting free-flowing conversation, the first of its kind in Florida’s education system.

Dr. Peter Ndiang’ui formed the chapter at FGCU in early 2024.

“The whole essence of having this is to create room for open dialogue, where people can discuss, we don’t even need to come to a consensus but to pursue issues that are value to all of us,” said Peter Ndiang’ui.

On Thursday, the group discussed their mission with a special guest: Christopher Phillips, Socrates Café’s founder.

“The beauty about Florida Gulf Coast University is its extraordinary diversity, in all walks of life,” Phillips said. “We all win by simply hearing one another out.”

Phillips started this idea in 1996. Since then, it’s grown to several hundred chapters and countries, the newest is FGCU.

“My inspiration, everything I do, is from the Greek philosopher Socrates,” Phillips said.

Past conversations have discussed the pursuit of happiness and what makes America, America.

“Dialogue can be messy and chaotic, a little bit. But the idea is to really listen with all of our being, and then to also share what we think,” Phillips said.

WINK News asked the participants why they went.

Rod Sidman, one of the participants, attended Thursday’s meeting.

“Everyone looks at the world from their own point of view, in their own backgrounds and experiences. And when you sit there and listen to how other people perceive the same things totally differently. It just opens up your mind,” Sidman said.

Different perspectives are fundamental for the group. They’re calling it a safe space.

“I would encourage people to come. I think they’re going to be surprised how much they’ll learn from the experience and that they’ll meet a lot of great people,” Sidman said.

The next meeting is on April 25th at FGCU’s Merwin Hall from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The topic has yet to be decided, but organizers say everyone is welcome as long as you are willing to listen to others.

Click here for more information on Socrates Café, or email Dr. Peter Ndiang’ui at pndiangui@fgcu.edu.

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