The Community
Dialogue
A tool to reduce polarization
and bring back community
12 people with different political views
discuss a topic dividing the nation.
They regain trust, rebuild bonds
and reclaim their community.
It has happened 60 times, for 800 people in Poland
The method:
What participants are saying:
The impact:
Evaluation results show that community dialogues are reducing participants’ affective polarization and increasing their capacity to cooperate across ideological differences. Skills in good conversation are transferred into local communities
71%
feel a greater sense of community with other people despite differences
66%
feel more ready to listen to the views of people thinking differently from them
68%
feel that they have a better understanding of people holding opposing views
95%
shared the dialogue experience with someone in their social circle
The output:
Common Grounds Mapped
Each conversation produces a dialogue map, highlighting the areas of agreement and division on the discussed topic. All maps are published on the Polish Dialogue platform for use by domain-specific NGOs and government units aiming to build unifying narratives on nationally divisive topics.
Talking Points for Daily Life
Each meeting results in a recipe for good conversation – a cheatsheet on how to discuss a specific topic with family, friends and colleagues. All recipes are published on the Polish Dialogue platform and shared via our social media channels.
The platform:
All dialogues are advertised on the Polish Dialogue platform. Participants can register for upcoming events and review the outcomes of previous dialogues. The site also serves as a hub for our democratic education effort, offering tips and hints on handling polarization in daily life. The platform can be easily recreated in other countries–a step-by-step toolbox for international NGOs is available.
The topics:
Dialogues are organized into thematic series, addressing major areas of public debate. To date, we have delivered tracks on: Europe, climate change, energy transition, gender relations and issues from the 2023 election campaign. These included national identity, welfare benefits, family models and more.
100+
dialogues
delivered
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Our dialogues are led by experienced facilitators or mediators, according to a protocol developed by our team. It includes elements of Non-Violent Communication, the Nansen Center method and techniques drawn from latest psychology research.
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There are typically 10-12 people and 2 facilitators. Such a group ensures a diversity of views and enough time for everyone to express themselves.
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Each dialogue is promoted on social media. Participants register through the Polish Dialogue platform. They are selected in such a way as to ensure a diverse group–in terms of views, but also gender, age, education and geographical location across Poland.
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For online dialogues, the topics are pre-selected by our team, so the participants know beforehand what they are signing up for. Topics are drawn from the current political debate. For on-site dialogues topics are usually chosen by participants.
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Typically, an online dialogue lasts about three hours. We require participants to be present and visible for the entirety of the meeting, from start to finish. in some tracks compensation is offered for the time spent on the dialogue.
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Apart from a readiness to talk, participants need a stable internet link, a webcam and a microphone. There are no other preconditions.
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Participation requires listening and speaking during the dialogue process. You cannot participate as an observer.
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Our dialogues are funded by grants obtained by the NCF. Previous and current funders included: the Bosch Foundation, Meta, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy and the European Climate Foundation. Participation is free, in some dialogue tracks participants are compensated for their time.