Bridging Divides with Dignity: A Preview of the Guinn Center's 2026 Gallagher Dialogues

As we head into the 2026 election season, it’s more important than ever to foster a dialogue between Nevada’s citizens and lawmakers with a commitment to dignified civil discourse. We’re pleased to invite you to our fourth annual Gallagher Dialogues on April 2 in Reno and Las Vegas to cultivate a meaningful discussion around political division with our guest speakers Tim Shriver and Tami Pyfer, co-founders of the Dignity Index.

Named in honor of the Guinn Center’s late co-founder, Tom Gallagher, and to perpetuate his passion for democracy and bi-partisanship, The Gallagher Dialogues is an annual event that serves as a marketplace of ideas for Nevada’s most important policy topics.  

“The Gallagher Dialogues were created to honor Tom's legacy and to honor the things that Tom cared about, which were promoting civic discourse, civility in political speech, and cooperation for the betterment of all Nevadans,” says Kristine Brown Caliger, Assistant Director of the Guinn Center. “It's in that spirit we carry on the Gallagher Dialogues, to feature conversations with information that will bring people together.”  

This year, we will discuss how to help ease divisions with guest speakers Tim Shriver and Tami Pyfer, co-founders of the Dignity Index. The Dignity Index measures speech on an eight-point scale from contempt to dignity to draw our attention toward the ways we engage those with whom we disagree. The organization believes that by spotlighting dignity in speech and interaction, individuals and communities can improve dialogue, prevent violence, and solve problems more constructively. Through public projects like scoring political discourse and offering tools and training, Shriver and Pyfer seek to foster greater understanding and encourage people to use dignity as a guiding principle in civic and everyday life.

“I was invited to a presentation where Tami Pyfer came out and talked about the Dignity Index, and based on my background of decades in the communication studies field, I was particularly interested in looking at ways that we can have debate in a more civil and productive manner, where we can still honor each other's humanity, even while disagreeing on topics,” says Jill Tolles, the Guinn Center’s Executive Director.

“The purpose of debate is not to destroy each other, but to get closer to the truth and the best policy moving forward.”  

Communication and discourse that is rooted in contempt, rather than dignity, can result in dehumanization and political violence. “One thing that the Dignity Index rightly points out is that the more you start to dehumanize your opponent or people you disagree with, the more your society starts to trend toward consequences like violence,” explains Caliger. “That is where the road ends when societies dehumanize others to the point of removing rights or devaluing the lives of people with whom they disagree or whom they see as ‘other.'”

With widening caverns of political division throughout the country, this next election cycle is an opportunity for Nevada to focus on finding shared solutions through civil discourse.  

“We want to invite everyone to the table– How do we change? How do we flip the script? How do we change the temperature in the room? –so that we can have heated policy debates, but not in a way that dehumanizes or leads to harassment, threats, and political violence,” says Tolles.

In addition to bridging ideological divides, the Guinn Center will bring together Nevadans who are geographically divided. For the first time, the Guinn Center will host The Gallagher Dialogues in Reno and Las Vegas simultaneously to unify the discussions that take place within our state. “To take it a step further,” says Caliger. “We hope to take the recording of the Gallagher Dialogues to rural and frontier communities after the Gallagher Dialogues take place in April.”  

We encourage anyone--from legislators to community leaders, to Nevada voters--to attend the Gallagher Dialogues and become part of the conversation this April. Tolles explains, “If anyone is reading this and has been a supporter of ours, but has not yet given, this is a great way to get involved with supporting our work. Buying a ticket, becoming a sponsor, or being able to engage in the conversation with others are impactful ways to advance our mission.”  Your attendance supports research that changes minds, informs leaders, and improves the lives of Nevadans.  

Learn more about the Gallagher Dialogues and purchase pickets here.

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