Over the last few years, we have all been confronted with an array of challenges including climate change, a global pandemic, economic fears and insecurities, and a sense of loss of orientation and values. All this in even more fragmented societies and political landscapes has led to critical segregation. In this framework, the challenge was to create a 2-day online citizen’s assembly to explore how solidarity can serve as an antidote to populism.
As the goal was to activate a global network, reaching beyond bubbles and engaging truly diverse participants, we put into practice our dialogues.one methodology. By applying it, the attention was redirected from the need to defend an opinion to actively listening to different perspectives and allowing collective thinking to take place.
All attendees were matched in clusters of up to 6 individuals, from diverse backgrounds and with different opinions. The range of topics addressed in each group followed one guiding question, giving focus to each session, and allowing for the space between perspectives to reveal the possibilities of diverse and previously unimagined futures.
A 2-day online event where policymakers, activists, researchers and practitioners exchange their perspectives. A set of new lines of work within Goethe-Institut and Arbeit im Europa scope. The activation of a new global community interested in the topic.