Activists from both sides of the abortion debate met last night in the Barker Center before an audience of approximately 40 to discuss areas of common ground surrounding the controversial issue.

Noting their opposing backgrounds, Marilyn I. Cohen, director of a clinic providing abortions, and Karen Swallow Prior, a high school principal and longtime sidewalk counselor with Operation Rescue, said that if they could find areas of agreement on this issue then other people should be able to as well.

"If anybody could find common ground, it would not be us, but we did," said Swallow Prior.

The key to reaching this common ground is not to try to find ways to compromise but rather to search for areas where there is already agreement, said the two women, who are members of the steering committee of the Common Ground Network for Life and Choice.

"Common ground is not about compromising or trying to find a compromise position on abortion. The challenge is for people to talk ... and find their overlapping beliefs or concerns [while] being very clear about their differences," said Mary E. Jacksteit, director of the Network, in her introductory remarks.

That common ground, Cohen and Swallow Prior stressed, includes the need for women to have access to fair, balanced information when deciding how to handle a pregnancy.

"We agree that a woman considering an abortion should be provided objective and thorough information," said Swallow Prior, reading a list of items on which the panelists had agreed.

Abortion activists should also uphold the principle of nonviolence, honor and respect the right of free speech, and refrain from techniques which are designed to intimidate or create fear, they said.

Despite these points of agreement, Cohen and Swallow Prior were very clear about their differences, beginning the panel by stating several of their opposing positions.

"I believe in promoting consciousness among women of their right to exercise control over their bodies," said Cohen.

"As a feminist, I believe abortion oppresses, degrades and violates women," countered Swallow Prior.

But the two women emphasized that in working to find common ground, they were not sacrificing or compromising those beliefs.

Common Ground has made me a better pro-life activist. It has clarified myown beliefs and reinforced my own beliefs," saidSwallow Prior.

The process of finding areas of agreement ismeant to reveal ways that the two sides can worktogether.

"After folks meet they discover that there aresome issues that they do agree upon. What we'rehoping comes out of this is to get the folks whoare really on the front line to see what kind ofthings they can do together" said Peter Altschul,senior program associate of the Network.

Co-organizers of the event Christa M. Franklin'99 and Lamelle D. Rawlins '99 said that theyhoped the audience would come away with a greaterunderstanding of the other side.