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democratic decision making-democracy are both an element and condition of social justice” (p.

91). Young’s view of public discussion is not solely focused on consensus and decision-making;

rather, it has a primary aim of learning resulting from the views and experiences shared among

participants. Similarly, Gunderson (2000) argued that deliberation does not lead to consensus, and

“by itself is incapable of establishing a society’s collective priorities; rather consensus is a

byproduct of deliberation (p. 199). Gunderson stressed that the primary reason for deliberating is

to learn, rather than simply to not arrive at consensus. So, while the potential for Community

Conversations and various forms of public engagement allow for idea sharing and a free exchange

of ideas, many scholars (Gunderson, 2000; Jacobs et al., 2009; Young, 1990) assert that the benefit

of sharing in these public forums is learning different points of view, not necessarily consensus

building however, I assert the education of being in “I” awareness begins here. "Awareness Itself:

Being Aware of Awareness Itself Is the Key" by Paul F. Gorman, also author of the Miracle Self

examined what it would take to be consistently aware of and living within awareness itself and

ponders whether this realization would be the key to witnessing our conditions so that we could

through the impression and realizations shared by others help find the true peace and harmony of

existence that could address those challenges confronting humankind because both inner and outer

awareness ‘merged’ could bring forth the consensus of solutions. Most profoundly, Gorman states

discovering and having the freedom to fulfill our true purpose of being is utilizing our resources

for the purpose of serving and sharing with all which achieves to me rooting the egalitarian dream.

To achieve this one must have consensus among the participants to proceed in exploring

this type of awareness of being, Yankelovich (2001), Guttmann and Thompson (2004), and Jacobs

et al. (2009) concur that deliberative democracy allows for the development of consensus and aids

decision-making. Consensus building (this is also known as collaborative problem solving or

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