Currently residing in Stavanger, Norway, Andrew’s career has spanned teaching and public education, industry development, with notable stints in the Netherlands and Japan. Andrew shares his experiences, motivations, and insights regarding his recent engagement with the introductory training in Dialogue in Conflict.

– I see a very consistent methodology that must have been developed over time through a lot of challenging experiences, he explains.

A Multicultural Journey in Education and Beyond

Andrew hails from the north of England but has spent significant portions of his life in different parts of the world. Driven by a scholarship to study the Japanese sport Kendo, he lived in Japan for many years. There he mostly worked in language teaching and intercultural learning. Later, Andrew transitioned into industry roles focused on training and development, recruitment, and executive search.

In Norway, he continued to work in the education sector, teaching at BI Norwegian Business School and at the British International School of Stavanger. His roles have been varied, covering humanities and supporting pupils with special needs.

The Nansen Training Experience

– I first encountered the Nansen Center’s work about 25 years ago at an intercultural communication conference in Oslo. There, I attended a talk by Steinar Bryn about his work in the Balkans. This made a lasting impression on me, he recalls.

Over the years, he closely followed the work of the Nansen Center. Several times he considered joining a training, and this year, the opportunity finally presented itself, aligning with his schedule and commitments.

Reflecting on his motivation for joining the training, he explains:

– Being in a teaching environment, I’ve always been aware of a gap between standard teaching and facilitating. For some topics, facilitation can be a more appropriate approach, allowing you to achieve a lot with a smaller presence in the room, but still with a lot of attention to what is happening by deep listening and asking good questions.

The Potential of Dialogue in Education

Andrew contrasts the training experience with his background in teaching and professional development, noting the distinct methodologies employed in dialogue facilitation.

– The humility and professional differentiation of the facilitators stood out, he remarks.

– The training emphasized minimal but well-chosen interventions by the facilitator, fostering an environment where the most interesting and meaningful interactions occurred spontaneously.

Embracing the Unknown

A key aspect of the Nansen training that Andrew highlights is the collaborative dynamic between the main facilitator and the co-facilitator. This close but well-defined collaboration is something he believes could greatly benefit traditional classroom teaching.

– Teachers, accustomed to predictable outcomes, could enhance their practice by embracing those unscripted moments. I am very fascinated by how the center works to implement this methodology in the school system.

Want to know more about the dialogue approach? Check out our upcoming trainings:

Training in public dialogue approach, sept. 23-27.

Dialogue Facilitation, dec. 2-6.

Originally from Egypt, Sara Yousef now lives in Tromsø, northern Norway. For the past two years, she has been pursuing her master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation at The Arctic University of Norway (UiT). According to Sara, her recent training in Lillehammer has made a significant impact.

 – Both professionally and personally, I see many opportunities to utilize the dialogue approach in various situations. This training has also helped me better understand myself—my needs, motivations, and interests, Sara explains.

A Diverse Background in Humanitarian Work

Before relocating to Norway, Sara dedicated a decade to working with international humanitarian organizations. Her roles spanned Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Doctors of the World, and the UN system. Additionally, she served as a project coordinator for a USAID-funded organization, managing logistics and technical tasks.

Sara initially wanted to attend a workshop in conflict resolution held by the Nansen Center at the university. Although unable to join at that time, she was excited to learn about the training sessions in Lillehammer.

 – I wanted to dig deeper into this topic and was happy to hear that the center offered training in this approach, she recalls.

Engaging with the Training Content

Sara describes the training as a focused and immersive exploration of conflict management through dialogue. She appreciated the depth of the training.

– This training focused intensely on how people in conflicts can manage situations by using dialogue and how to navigate the web of emotions and needs of those involved, she explains.

One of the standout tools for Sara was conflict mapping, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of different actors in a conflict and their relationships. She also found the conflict tree particularly useful.

– When trying to explain conflicts, it’s easy to lose track. Visual tools like this help structure conflicts and make it easier to get a good overview, Sara notes.

Experiencing Group Dynamics and Process-Based Learning

Her group of fellow participants was small but inclusive, fostering an environment conducive to open discussion and sharing of experiences.

– Everyone, with their patience and insights, helped maintain a safe space. Also, the diversity of the group contributed to a more enriching learning experience, making it more exciting as well, she says.

Applying Dialogue Skills in Professional and Personal Life

Reflecting on her background in humanitarian work, Sara sees the potential to apply her newfound dialogue skills in different contexts.

– In my former job, we used to arrange public meetings on issues regarding public health and hygiene. If equipped to use dialogue in such settings, I believe it is more likely to achieve effective outcomes.

 – Conflicts and misunderstandings can happen in demanding situations. For me, this training has fostered significant growth and made me more tolerant of others and different contexts, Sara concludes.

Want to know more about the dialogue approach? Check out our upcoming trainings:

Training in public dialogue approach, sept. 23-27.

Dialogue Facilitation, dec. 2-6.

The handbook offers insights about the practical approach of public dialogues, a concept developed by the NCPD. With this book, we hope to provide useful and accessible knowledge, rooted in real life experiences and practical examples.

The book has been developed as a resource to everyone interested in dialogue, peace, and conflict transformation. It can also be useful for those working with similar approaches or whose engagements concern that of public discourse, moderation, conflict work, communication, community building and organizing.

The handbook is written by Christiane Seehausen and Siri Syverud Thorsen. Agata Urbanik, Norunn Grande and Astrid Folkedal Kraidy have contributed with valuable input and proofreading.

Here you can download handbook: A practical approach to public dialogue

Conversations that matter

Over the years, while training and facilitating dialogue as a tool for conflict transformation, participants wanted to know if there was a way for dialogue to serve the general public, in addition to empower individuals navigating conflict situations. This request was the starting point for the development of our approach to public dialogues.

A public dialogue is a facilitated dialogue for the public about a topic of public interest. Deep listening and genuine follow-up questions are important ingredients in public dialogues. This approach is particularly useful for addressing sensitive, conflicted or controversial topics. By sharing personal stories and thoughts, the main goal is to build trust and better understanding across differences for those present.

Among other things, public dialogues can contribute to; less polarization and tensions in local communities; ensure inclusive processes and decision-making, create a safe space for conversations on challenging topics; highlighting important events and conversations in communities.

A doorway into a life-long learning process

The public dialogue approach is still a rather new concept and always evolving. With this book, NCPD wishes to embody some of the insights so far. Nevertheless, one of our wishes for this resource is for you to take what we have assembled and make it your own. We hope it can serve as a fundament for further development.

We want to emphasize that it is only a doorway into a life-long learning process that no-one ever graduates from. We invite you to study this book with the same mentality.

Join our trainings

Dialogue is not a skill that solely can be taught theoretically but rather needs to be practiced. We strongly recommend participating in at least one of our interactive trainings in this approach.

Here you will find information about upcoming trainings at the NCPD.

Next training in Public Dialogue will be held in September 23^rd to 27^th 2024.

In a dialogue, facilitation is about creating a safe space so that people can talk to each other in an honest, open, and empathic manner. The facilitator’s role is to make sure that the participants feel respected, listened to, and valued – that their voices matter.

Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue (NCPD) offers a dedicated training on how to facilitate dialogues. Facilitation is a skill that needs practice to develop. All trainings at the NCPD builds upon the personal stories and reflections that the participants bring to the table (or into the dialogue circle). You learn through interaction with others, and the varity of people participating, is what makes every training experience unique.

This fall we had participants from all over the world, representing countries like Sweden, Germany, Poland, Chile, Colombia, Rwanda, Nepal, and Ireland. We had a talk with three of them, who willingly shared their first thoughts after an intense week in Lillehammer, Norway.

Read more about our trainings and approach.

Sadhu Ram Tamang, peace advisor (Nepal)

Sadhu Ram Tamang is a peace advisor from Katmandu in Nepal, working for an international development organization. Since 2020, he’s been engaged in the field of dialogue, organizing activities, and building capacity for dialogue in his home country.

According to Sadhu, many conflicts in Nepal concerns access and distribution of resources like water, forests, and minerals. Politics, ideologies, and religious extremism have marked the landscape of conflicts in the country. However, things are changing. Sadhu believes that many of these issues can be addressed using the dialogue approach.  

I really enjoyed the holistic approach, not just on how to use this professionally, but also how I can use this in my own life and serve humanity as best as I can.

Sadhu Ram Tamang

– Occasionally, underlying conflicts between the Hindu and the Muslim population have flared to the surface. As a response to this, we have facilitated inter-religious dialogues in Lahan, southern Nepal. This is an ongoing process that has been well received by both the civil society and national authorities.

– On a national level, I’ve been mapping the various organizations working with dialogue and conflict transformation in Nepal. Their approaches and methods might differ, but the main goal has been to create a space where these can talk and share experiences. In 2022, this work led to the Nepal Dialogues Summit 2022. This year we are awaiting over 40 organizations to the Nepal Dialogue Summit 2023.

What was your main motivation for participating in this training?

– I wanted to sharpen, testify, and verify my own understandings. This has been a life-changing experience. I really enjoyed the holistic approach, not just on how to use this professionally, but also how I can use this in my own life and serve humanity as best as I can.

– In the case of Nepal, I believe these insights and tools can be useful to build a larger community of dialogue.

Was there anything that made a particular impact on you?

– One thing that really made an impact on me was how open all the participants were. How quickly we all gained trust and respect to each other. There was a great sense of togetherness, love and caring. I believe it has something to do with the methodology. The training is not guided by the content but rather by the flow of sharing and interaction.

– It was something very special and I will keep this in my heart and mind forever.

Karoline Faber, priest in the Church of Norway (Germany/Norway)

Karoline Faber is a Lutheran priest in the Church of Norway. She’s also managing an church dialogue center in Drammen. Originally, Karoline is from Germany, but the past 14 years she’s been living in Norway.

Karoline explains that joining the facilitation training was rather a spontaneous decision.

– I’m involved as an observer in a local dialogue forum with religious leaders. The main topic here is how to relate to life stories from people within the LGBT+ community. Recently, we had a dialogue session with Christiane from the Nansen Center. As a person who works with dialogue professionally, I was quite impressed of this approach and thought to myself: “If this method exists, I want to learn how to do this”.

The world is as it is, but there is a sparkle of hope that changes can happen when people are sharing space and gain trust to each other.

Karoline Faber

In what way do you think the Nansen method might be useful for you?

– As a priest, I meet many people across beliefs and culture. My job is also a lot about how the church interacts with the wider society. In these contexts, there are so many layers to take into consideration: Like prejudice, our faith and personal conviction. I believe that dialogue is the best way to cope with this.

How did you experience the training?

– It’s been super intense! There is a lot to take in and you are giving so much of yourself in the training. I also find it very developing that you get so much feedback from your fellow participants and the trainers. Dialogue and facilitations are crafts, and it is paramount to practice for developing your skills.

– One thing that will stick to my mind is the power of genuine meetings between humans. When people are meeting in an honest way, great things can happen. The world is as it is, but there is a sparkle of hope that changes can happen when people are sharing space and gain trust to each other.

Nancy Biwott, associate director at CMU-Africa (Kenya/Rwanda)

Originally from Kenya, Nancy Biwott works as an associate director at the Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali Rwanda. She’s passionately advocating for a more inclusive equal society for all. In addition to her work at the university, the last ten years she’s been facilitating a dialogue forum that addresses various topics related to their local community – on how to include each other and live together peacefully.

What was your main motivation for participating?

– In 2021 during covid, I attended one of NCPDs digital trainings. I found the content both powerful and transformative. What I loved about it was how little it focused on grand theories, but rather its reflective and contemplating approach. I instantly knew that I wanted to dig deeper into this, and I was very happy to get selected for this training.

Amazing trainers and participants. Amazing discussions. Amazing risk-taking.

Nancy Biwott

In what way do you think the insights from the training can be applied in your work?

– There are several topics in Rwanda that can be addressed through public dialogue sessions. In the community dialogue forum, we have organized dialogues on topics like gender equality, mental health, and inclusion of people with disabilities and refugees. These talks have been valuable to reflect upon our experiences, our beliefs and how we understand each other as a community.

– In my work at the university, I also work a lot with conflicts involving students or employees. It strikes me that these conflicts are often just levels of different understandings. That’s why I find this tool and method so powerful. In the dialogue, our needs, feelings, perspectives, and ideologies are uncovered. From there, many great things can happen.

How was it for you personally to be part of this group and training?

– Throughout this week we’ve had time to reflect upon our own assumptions, understandings, and experiences in life. I loved the deepness of this training, and how much each one opened up, shared, and showed trust to each other, Nancy elaborates and concludes:

– Amazing trainers and participants. Amazing discussions. Amazing risk-taking.

Salam Omer is a highly accomplished journalist and media trainer from Iraq, with vast experience from both media and the business sector. Omer is dedicated to promoting dialogue and peace in Iraq’s disputed territories, incorporating the methodology of the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue into his work as an editor-in chief at the news agency KirkukNow.

With unwavering determination, he highlights the importance of safety, access to information, and financial sustainability in this treacherous terrain.

– Safety is paramount for us, both in the field and online, Omer explains.

Working in a challenging and volatile environment, journalists must navigate through conflicting parties, ensuring their well-being while pursuing the truth. Omer’s experience and understanding of safety and security protocols in dealing with warring factions have been instrumental in his reporting efforts.

– It’s very difficult to get access to the right sources, he laments.

Yet, Omer perseveres, determined to provide reliable and unbiased reporting despite the obstacles that obstruct the path to information.

To amplify the voices of the unheard

Financial sustainability poses an additional challenge in conflict zones. With little development and militias controlling various aspects of daily life, finding core support becomes an arduous task. Omer acknowledges the precarious nature of his profession, stating:

– Nothing is guaranteed where I work, except my persistence to continue serving local communities with fact-based news and information.

While the Iraqi constitution enshrines freedom of the press, Omer observes a lack of understanding from the government regarding journalism’s vital role in marginalized communities. He believes that journalism can amplify the voices of the unheard, fostering dialogue and societal change. Inspired by the potential to bridge divides and promote understanding, Omer finds purpose in pursuing war and peace issues through dialogue.

A transformative process

Recently, Omer participated in the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue’s seminar on dilemmas in war and peace. According to him, initiatives like these offers a unique opportunity for journalists to broaden their perspectives and gain new insights. He emphasizes the transformative impact it had on his understanding of the challenges he faces.

For him, the seminar served as a catalyst to enhance his reporting practices and reaffirm his commitment to responsible journalism. Engaging with a diverse range of participants from around the world, Omer was inspired by the shared insights and experiences.

– The seminar provided a platform for us to talk and network, he explains.  

This collaborative environment allowed him to recognize that he is not alone in his struggle to report from conflict zones and that there are others facing similar harsh conditions.

From conflict reporting to dialogue journalism

Notable speakers and experts at the seminar offered invaluable contributions, shedding light on war and peace dilemmas. Omer was particularly moved by the experiences shared by peace practitioners, who revealed the unimaginably tricky challenges they encounter while receiving minimal support. Their stories reinforced Omer’s belief in the power of reliable news and information in promoting peace during times of war. He adds:

– I’ve come out with the feeling that I am not alone. The participants also live in harsh conditions and they were a huge source of inspiration. I will continue build a bigger network to conceptualize how producing reliable information can contribute to promote peace in times of war.

The seminar’s impact on Omer’s work is evident in his commitment to building a larger network and conceptualizing ways to utilize media as a tool for peace promotion. Inspired by the participants, he seeks to produce accurate and verified journalism, empowering underprivileged and marginalized groups to engage in dialogue with others.

Omer’s dedication to debunking misinformation and disinformation, and his emphasis on countering biases, demonstrates his conviction in the potential of journalism to shape narratives and foster reconciliation.

I’ve come out with the feeling that I am not alone.

Salam Omer

Journalism as a bridge over troubled water

The seminar’s practical recommendations and strategies resonated deeply with Omer. Exploring various approaches, such as increasing the production of news and information related to peacebuilding, has opened new horizons for him.

Omer now envisions future projects in collaboration with the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue that focus on reliable news, information, and researching the information consumed by conflicting parties. By fostering a constructive dialogue, he aims to create an environment where peace can flourish.

Salam Omer’s journey as a journalist reporting from conflict zones reflects the unwavering pursuit of truth amidst adversity. His experiences and challenges underscore the critical importance of safety, access to information, and financial sustainability in conflict reporting.

The seminar on dilemmas in war and peace served as a transformative experience, amplifying Omer’s dedication to responsible journalism and the power of reliable information in promoting peace. By embracing dialogue journalism and seeking to bridge divides, he embodies the potential for media to shape narratives, foster reconciliation, and contribute to building a peaceful society in post-conflict regions.

As in many other oppressive countries, women in Afghanistan have been extensively discriminated through history. Women’s rights issue is also vulnerable to the interpretation of Islam and the transformation of political power in the country. Throughout the changing political landscape in the last fifty years, different groups have exploited women’s rights for political gain.

Horia Mosadiq was a young girl when the Soviet invaded the country in 1979. Now she is a human rights activist with long experience working with rights issues, peace, justice, gender and violence. During the Afghanistan week 2022, Mosadiq was invited to participate in several discussions. She remembers times when the state was committed to women’s rights in Afghanistan.

– I remember my mother wearing miniskirts and taking us to the cinema. My aunts went to University in Kabul, but the Soviet invasion changed everything.

Before the 1979 invasion

When we think about women in Afghanistan, most people probably recall pictures of women in burqa or the famous National Geographic photograph of “the Afghan girl” Sharbat Gul. However, the image of Afghan women contains a lot more.  

The progression of women’s rights in Afghanistan dates to the late 19^th century under the rule of king Abdul Rahman Khan. His wife, Bobo Jan, dressed without a veil, represented her husband in reconciliation processes after feuds between tribal leaders. Among few women, she also used to ride horses and trained her maidservants in military exercises.

Later, in the 1920s under the rule of Amanullah Khan who was known as the “reformer king”, Afghan girls went to school, and women were granted freedom of choice in marriage. Moving forward to the late 50s, women where also enrolled at the university.

In 1973 the incumbent king was removed by his own cousin, Daoud Khan. Khan was also committed to women’s rights and introduced reforms for women’s emancipation. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan a few years later, the communists were repressive, but still promoted women’s rights.

When the communist government fell and mujahideen factions (“guerilla warriors”) turned on each other, women’s freedom was the first victim of war. Women’s rights started its downward spiral due to war, poverty, and migration.  

Women’s rights under Taliban

In 1994, when the Taliban emerged. They imposed the “gender apartheid”, closed schools for girls’ school and demanded women to stay at home unless accompanied by a male relative. They imprisoned, tortured, and executed women in the name of “moral crimes”.

These memories are still fresh for the generation born before the 2001-invasion in Afghanistan. When Kabul fell for the second time to Taliban in August 2021, it brought horror and shock to many, including Horia Mosadiq.  

Although Mosadiq was in London at that time, she had already sensed the situation worsening. On that day, she made many phone calls to ensure that her remaining family in Kabul were safe. She describes the fall as a “chaos for all Afghans, inside and outside Afghanistan”.

– The Chaos started when President Ghani left the country. It was mass panic. Many scared women called me while they where crying.  

After the fall, Taliban gradually imposed new versions of the same “gender apartheid”. The regime banned girls from secondary school, and women are once again forbidden from working in most sectors, except in health and education. The Taliban dictated what women must wear, and women are not allowed to play sports or go to parks and public baths.  

Feeling of betrayal

While Afghanistan has always been a patriarchal society, women made significant progress and participated in all social spheres during the post-2001 era. At least in the major cities.

They were active in health services, politics, social work, education and in the economic sector. The generation after 2001 have no memory of the Taliban government policy before the turnover of power last year. However, gender discrimination has always been present in the society.

Seeing again the Taliban imposing the disreputable “gender apartheid” has also made many of these women questioning the international community’s commitment. According to Mosadiq, many Afghan women feel betrayed by the international community.

– As someone working within the international community, I would say that the experience was bitter. They were not honest and did not have the guts to tell us the truth and kept lying to the Afghan people. They did not even believe in their own promises.  

She reckons that the international community did not consider any inputs from Afghan women and compromised on their rights during the peace talks with Taliban in 2019

What can be done?

Women in Afghanistan, from the elite to the grassroot, are demanding the same fundamental human rights. For the first time in the history, they stand together as a united movement. This is a dim ray of hope for many Afghans.

Mosadiq points out that it is essential to have a broad movement from grassroot activists to the elite, but when the rulers do not listen and suppress their fundamental rights, they are restrained from making changes. However, women with the access to better platforms can take a role to amplify their voices.

– Women in Afghanistan are demanding something quite simple. They are not asking for so-called western moral values, but fundamental human rights. Women living in diaspora can be their voice.

Mosadiq also addressed the UN during a seminar on women’s rights in March this year. She asked the international community for actions, not words. She places her hope in the new generation and the women of Afghanistan, which she advocates for as a human rights defender and activist. She believes that the women have shown extreme courage, and she hopes that they might change the country.

Mosadiq reminds the international community to remember that Afghanistan belongs to the people, not the Taliban.

– The world shall not forget the Afghan people, especially not the women.

Written by Hasina Shirzad.

-The breaking moment was when I stopped seeing the online space as something that is replacing physical meetings, says Betka Wójcik.

She was a bit sceptical when the Coronavirus forced communication all over the world to go online, including the dialogue activities of Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue (NCPD) – where she had been participating in training and meetings.

The sceptic attitude changed when she started focusing on the opportunities.

-I started to think about online dialogue as a different space and different way of communication, which has challenges but also opportunities. I started to think – how can I use all the advantages, says Wójcik.

A way to include more people

2020 was the year when dialogue escaped into the digital room, and the trend seems to continue in 2021. After the outbreak of the Coronavirus in March last year, the staff at NCPD immediately started to increase the activities in digital meeting rooms. At the end of the year, the center had gained much experience with the digital tools related to dialogue.

-In the digital way we can include participants from around the world, as far as they have an internet connection and a device. On the positive side is also that the conversations are slower and that the cost is low, says Christiane Seehausen, Senior Advisor at NCPD.

Seehausen has been organizing and facilitating a great number of dialogues online, including training courses for field workers in Syria and Irak, and for NGOs in Poland. She sees both possibilities and limitations with online dialogue.

-In the digital world we are connected, but in the same way disconnected and alone. It is difficult to really get in contact with people and we miss spontaneous responses like body language, all these small human reactions are not visible, Seehausen says.

She points at the fact that building trust is a key stone in dialogue, and trust is hard to create via a screen. This seems to be one of the serious drawbacks with dialogue over video.

Risky to comment on sensitive topics

The Afghanistan Week conference is held every other year in Oslo, with NCPD as organizer together with Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Chr. Michelsens Institute (CMI) and Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC). This year everything was happening online.

-The week was turned into a public conversation that was shown live on YouTube, says Norunn Grande, Acting Director at NCPD.

Grande was leading a session where people working with dialogue at the grassroots in Afghanistan participated, via a mobile phone or laptop from their own community.

-The digital dialogue has the potential to bring out the grassroot voices and we can reach a larger audience. Because everything was happening online, Afghans living in different parts of Afghanistan could participate equally with people in front of the screen in Lillehammer and Oslo, says Grande.

The Afghanistan Week is available via Youtube, and such open access has advantages, but also challenges.

-This year it was more risky to comment on sensitive topics, says Grande.

In dialogue, it is important to create a safe space, where people feel confident to express their opinions. Creating a trustful and safe space is much more challenging in a digital room than in physical meetings, regardless of whether the conversations are posted online or not.

-People adjust their expressions to the feeling of safety. In a physical room we can have a public dialogue meeting with up to 100 participants, and we can more easily create the feeling of safety. Digital dialogue certainly has potential, but requires a very good structure, says Grande.

A democratic tool

-This tool is very democratic, it enables people from different corners of the world to meet with few preparations, says Alfredo Zamudio – currently on leave from his position as director at NCPD, to lead a dialogue process in Chile.

During the past year, he facilitated a dialogue process in Chile – which for the most part was done through digital meetings.

-Digital meeting space is an excellent tool, although it does not replace human interaction, such as showing affection, empathy and solidarity. When sharing the same physical room we can listen or be in silence – together. A digital meeting space does not fully manage to be a full replacement for a physical space, but is much better than not meeting at all, Zamudio says.

-It is also worth saying that it is easier, cheaper and allows great flexibility. With our experience in Chile during last year, we can certainly say that a dialogue process can be done digitally. We will be happy to share our experiences with colleagues who are interested, Zamudio concludes.

Important and meaningful

Christiane Seehausen points out that the digital meetings get better when the participants have met physically before.

-Digital meetings limit our work, but if the participants have met before and had the chance to build a foundation including trust, the dialogues will be better, more open and honest, she says.

Betka Wójcik experienced a great benefit from the online dialogues where she participated, facilitated by Christiane Seehausen.

-It was very important and meaningful for me to take part in the net based dialogues. I felt very inspired and encouraged, and I was very thankful for having this opportunity and possibility to talk about those important topics in those challenging times. It gave me a lot of hope and space and time to reflect on important issues, Wójcik says.

-For sure it is much more difficult to establish relationships and trust online, to really feel we are communicating with other „real” people. I think this requires much more time than with physical meetings. I experienced that it is possible also online, but we need to pay more attention to it and find methods to help people to feel it, Wójcik says.

One of the things she values most about dialogue is the inclusiveness, and how different people with different experiences can communicate equally.

-I experienced this much more difficult online, she says.

Needed in times of uncertainty

Also Agata Urbanik participated in the online dialogues in Poland.

-Virtual dialogues are more structured and less spontaneous. The order of speaking has to be followed carefully and it is difficult to go in new directions. People were fragmentized, their voices sometimes distorted. Nevertheless, we created a sense of intimacy and closeness, a true sharing space, Urbanik says.

Digital dialogue has the potential to include more people, but Urbanik points at the fact that going digital also can exclude.

-A risk with this kind of dialogue is digital exclusion. Which often intersects with other exclusion dimensions like age, material situation, health, social and ethnic background. We should think about providing necessary assistance for those who are not able to participate in online meetings, she says.

-It is possible to engage in meaningful contact online and we should practice it. Dialogue is needed in times of great uncertainty, like now. And it is fairly easy to organize, Urbanik says.

Text and photo: Kai Nygaard
Published: January 11th 2021

How to make a great net based dialogue:

-Good preparations
-A brief introduction
-Clear rules
-Participants should sign up beforehand and it should not be possible to join if you are late
-Short sessions – around two hours is often enough
-Clarity on expectations
-Conversations in smaller groups could be useful
-Have more than one person organizing. One should facilitate, one administer the digital tool and keep track of the talking list, and one to report (if need)
-Close each session with reflections from the facilitator based on what has been said during the session
-Using an experienced facilitator is recommended