Conducting dialogue with NEWConnective and 3D

Conducting dialogue with NC

• Why dialogue?

  Dialogue can be employed when it's no longer obvious for parties to engage in conversation and when contact is at risk of disappearing. Dialogue can connect groups and clarify the focus on a common goal. Dialogue can be an effective means for a board to invite the workforce to participate and hear multiple voices.
  However, dialogue is not a panacea. It's a process and not a one-time solution to resolve tensions within a community.

• What do we understand by dialogue?

  A dialogue is an organized form of conversation, facilitated by a moderator/dialogue facilitator, aimed at trying to understand each other better.
  During a dialogue, participants can become more receptive to the viewpoints of others, and participants with different opinions and perspectives can better empathize with and understand the other's standpoint.

• When is dialogue used?

  Dialogue is used to address situations that could potentially divide the academic community of the VU (proactively).
  Dialogues can be used to identify the voices of minorities.
  Dialogue can be employed in cases of tension, friction, and polarization and can be a suitable form to bring parties closer together.

• Guidelines

  • We think before speaking knowing that speech can be damaging
  • We have a responsibility to our whole academic community
  • We ask for clarification and be willing to explain yourself to others
  • We need to agree that we are ok with unease, and how uncomfortable that might be
  • We practice the art of deep listening, meaning we strive to understand the speaker's perspective. By suspending our judgment and being willing to receive new information from the speaker
  • We look for ways to broaden our perspectives
  • We accept that being part of the conversation is of greater importance than the need to be right
  • We remain aware that our language should be productive, not corrosive
  • We intend for our contribution to bring the conversation further
  • We strive to prevent further polarization within our own community
  • This meeting is not intended for political activism, yet we will not exclude those who consider themselves activists or politically involved
  • There is no hierarchy, all lives are precious and have value
  • We don’t communicate through slogans or remarks that you know to be offensive to others
  • There is room for emotions but we aim not to act out when emotional
  • We all have our opinions but let’s remain aware that someone else might experience a different reality