Bridging Differences: Understanding Through Dialogue

In Riga, a group of fourteen young people from twelve countries explored a communication method of bringing different perspectives together. During three intense workshop days consisting of theory, practice and a significant amount of group work, the participants exchanged their views by going through a process from facilitating dialogues to planning and presenting dialogues. Thereby, current topics such as radicalization and extremism, civic engagement, corruption, polarization, media, and accountability in the context of democratic governance were discussed.

What made these dialogues special, but challenging at the same time: Coming from big European cities on the one hand, but also from rural areas on the other, the participants brought in their very specific ways of expressing oneself, discussion culture one is used to, the impact of different historical events on one’s culture, the current political climate in one’s country… Depending on the context it is often these differing life realities causing differences and societal divide.

But the workshop served as an opportunity to learn from and with other people about complex topics that move young people across borders. By conducting dialogues, participants built trust as well as resilience and learnt about each other and oneselves. By constantly practicing and reflecting, they identified Dos and Don’ts for successful conversations to take home in order to become agents for peaceful dialogues in their environment.