Section outline
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Watch this video on ‘What is Dialogue':
Source: KAICIID Dialogue Center. “KAICIID Common Citizenship: What is Dialogue?” June 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr6ifRmCTwE.
Source: Principles of Dialogue: KAICIID Dialogue Centre and SCOUTS. ‘’Dialogue for Peace Manual: Guide for Dialogue Ambassadors.’’ 2018. https://www.kaiciid.org/publications-resources/dialogue-peace-manual-guide-dialogue-ambassadors.
There are 10 Principles of Dialogue.
First, establish a safe space. This includes making sure the physical space allows for fuller inclusion, as well as for emotional and mental health, (i.e. respecting ability, gender needs, and religious/cultural customs). Second, participants should agree that the aim of the dialogue is to learn from another. Third, participants should use appropriate communication skills, including listening respectfully and letting everybody speak equally and for themselves, regardless of gender, age, ethnic or religious affiliation, ability, or sexual orientation. Encourage participation and curiosity to ask questions and actively engage. Acknowledge the discussion will raise sensitive topics and that people may have different views – clarify that this is not a space to make accusations, but to benefit from collective knowledge to better understand the context. Come to an agreement on how information is shared and communicated in advance, particularly regarding social media, photography and personal information.
Fourth, set proper ground rules to help ensure constructive dialogue. Fifth, express feelings and confront perceptions. Challenge stereotypes by actively deconstructing the various stigmas and barriers to inclusion as they arise in your discussions and create opportunities for your community to do the same. This starts with internal awareness raising within your P/CVE initiative, where you can raise discussions on the topics of inclusion and biases, but also raise awareness about stereotypes within your community.
Ensure you are actively listening to the individuals speaking during your dialogue session. Various active listening techniques include: verbal affirmations or non-verbal cues, such as nodding; asking questions or asking for clarification; demonstrating concern; paraphrasing to show you understand; and disclosing similar experiences to show understanding.
Sixth, build relationships with other participants, Seventh, gradually address the hard questions and gradually depart from them. Eighth, do not quit or avoid the difficult issues. Ninth, expect to be changed as a person by expanding your own understanding and viewpoints of others. Tenth, bring change to others by taking action. Now that you have a new perspective, try to bring this new perspective to your community and that of others to sustain the dialogue. Ensure you elevate the voices of all members of your community partnership. Make sure that members of your initiative are given sufficient space to voice their concerns without being invalidated or stigmatized.
One example of a powerful use of dialogue that was discovered within the PAVE project was found in Lebanon. A separate community youth-led project involved utilizing community dialogues to showcase different religious thoughts on the negative impacts of violent extremism on various towns to build a unified stance and messaging against violent extremism in faith-based institutions and spaces. Faith leaders partnered with youth in jointly hosting inter and intra-faith dialogue sessions to reduce stereotypes to build mutual understanding and trust. Storytelling was utilized to help build the capacity of youth to tell their story with transformative messaging, while also humanizing and uplifting them as leaders within their communities.
For additional guidelines to consider while in a dialogue session, take a look at this guideline document on the next page.
Guidelines for a Dialogue Group:
These are some possible guidelines for a dialogue group:
- Confidentiality: Agree that personal details and disclosures are not discussed outside the group. You may, however, talk about yourself, your learning, and your personal experience of the dialogue.
- Respect difference: You have the right to be different, as do all members of the group.
- No interruptions: Give each speaker time to reflect, clarify thoughts, and articulate them. Wait until the other is finished before speaking.
- Equal time: Take responsibility for how often you speak in the group and for allowing others equal time.
- No advice: Come to your own decisions and conclusions about what is right and appropriate for you. Speak from your own experience and do not give advice to others (e.g., “If I were you I would...” or “You should...”).
- Listen: Pay close attention to what each person is actually saying, rather than “hearing” what you wish they would say.
- Speak in the first person — use "I" statements: Speak directly from your own experience and use “I” or “I feel” rather than “everybody says” or “most people feel.” Speak personally, for yourself as an individual, not as a representative of a group or a position.
- Responsibility: Take responsibility for what you think, do, say, and feel in each session. Take responsibility for what you do not say as well.
- Disclosure: Say only what you are comfortable with, no matter what others disclose.
- Pass: Honor each person's right to “pass” if the person is not ready or willing to speak.
Source: Principles of Dialogue: KAICIID Dialogue Centre and SCOUTS. ‘’Dialogue for Peace Manual: Guide for Dialogue Ambassadors.’’ 2018. https://www.kaiciid.org/publications-resources/dialogue-peace-manual-guide-dialogue-ambassadors
