The symposium participants were chosen to ensure numerical balance on both sides of the controversy. Differences in education and sophistication among the participants were also considered. The participants defined and rank-ordered the issues they would discuss and set their own agenda. Small groups worked in parallel with trained mediators who staffed the symposium. By the end of the symposium, the diverse and antagonistic group was able to define several important areas of tobacco industry policy. As a result of the collaborative problem solving, new Federal tobacco laws were enacted. The success of the symposium has been attributed to the convener, the symposium environment, the teaching skills of the mediators, and the empowering of the participants to solve their problems themselves. The article points out that positive outcomes occur when people in conflict are empowered to resolve their differences in ways that result in mutual gain. 4 footnotes.