Our Dialogue e.V.

About the association

We rethink and redesign the way we deal with challenges and crises. And help others to dare to do the same. We approach the topics that shape our present and decide our future with confidence, freshness and seriousness: Artificial intelligence, mental health, democracy. Inspired by psychology, science and mediation, we have developed a modular dialog formula that can be applied to any controversial topic. This turns controversy into constructive dialog and paves the way for a “we” in society as a whole. We are convinced that we need this cohesion and trust in a common future so urgently right now! Our (digital) offer is aimed at those who want to be heard and help shape the future. Other associations and organizations (e.g. schools, clubs and companies) can book our workshops (e.g. on media access in the age of AI, or resilience in childhood and adolescence). We work on a non-partisan, independent and purely voluntary basis. “We” are predominantly ‘young people’, accompanied by a committee of ‘older people’ - from all over Germany, together we form the association ‘Unser Dialog e. V.’ based in Munich.

Our team

All members help shape the association in their own way. Each person contributes their strengths within the framework that suits them. We have our own digital infrastructure. That's why it doesn't matter where you are - everyone can join in. You too!

Our purpose

An excerpt from the articles of association

The purpose of the association is to promote the culture of dialogue as a central element of democratic government [...] The purpose of the association is realized by taking up controversial topics [...] in a multi-perspective and party-politically neutral manner, bringing interested citizens into a dialogue about them and thus practicing and popularizing dialogue as an instrument of structured, informed and productive civic debate.
- From the statutes of Unser Dialog e. V., §2

What we do

Our approach

We develop, test and disseminate dialog concepts. These make polarizing topics discussable again. The core of our work is a scientific foundation, a moderation approach inspired by non-violent communication (Rosenberg, 2003) and the application of methodological elements from mediation, systemic counseling and psychology, which we have developed ourselves and adapted for use in socio-political discourse. Through our work and the valuable contribution of other initiatives in this field, we believe that polarization can be weakened and society can once again see itself as what it is: a valuable, diverse and powerful force that can strengthen and shape our democracy. Does that appeal to you? We would be happy to tell you more in a conversation!

How we work

In community, non-partisan, long-term

We are not alone in our goal of averting polarization and strengthening democratic discourse. We see democracy not as a service, but as a community project. That is why we provide a breeding ground and incubation space for behavior that promotes democracy and create a “we feeling”: togetherness despite diversity of opinion. We are neither confessional nor partisan and are committed to promoting a culture of dialog in the long term. It is important to us that our approach not only works in our events, but that it seeps into private life and unfolds its true impact there. That's why we are particularly moved to receive feedback like this:

Jenny - Participant in Our Dialogue on Mental Health

You can also watch lectures online, on what feels like any topic and so many that you could never watch them all. But the exchange, the reflection of questions and sharing of thoughts, the conversation creates an active engagement with the topic that would never be possible with a video or podcast. In this way, much more is remembered, reflected on and questioned, which is valuable, for example, in the case of various types of unconscious discrimination or understanding & empathy for those affected by issues that you have not yet dealt with yourself. But it also creates positive feelings, as the participants sometimes share their thoughts very openly and all statements are valued and respected.

Anonym - Participant at Our dialog on the 2024 European elections

To be honest, I'm not really that interested in politics. But last week after your event, the election came up again at dinner. And for the first time I had the feeling that, hey, you can say something about it. And it's much more important to me now than before that I stand up for democracy!

Why we do this

Our history

A friendship gave rise to the vision of making polarizing topics discussable again. Two opposing worlds rowlide: one experiences the PEGIDA hustle and bustle outside her window in Dresden, the other learns first-hand that geopolitical issues can be discussed peacefully in a diverse environment. Both share the fear that the current handling of crisis issues is only fuelling polarization instead of solving the problems in a truly socially acceptable way. They are also both concerned that anti-democratic voices are gaining strength. They therefore decide to take responsibility to tackle issues such as radicalization, climate change, the AI age and the democratic crisis in a new way. Inspired by their studies (psychology, cognitive science) and their experience with non-violent communication, they set out to create Unser Dialog e. V. (Our Dialogue). The current situation within Germany, but also geopolitically, has only worsened since then - our commitment is more important than ever. That is why we not only let the association work outwards, but also inwards: Members can be trained in moderation skills and methods - to become multipliers for a dialog that promotes democracy.

Our design

We owe this wonderful website to our member Paul. Many thanks for all the programming work and your creativity!
kaifler.eu⬈

We owe the drawing you see first on the website, as well as the logos for the Mental Health, Europe and Bundestag Election 2025 series, to our founding member Anna. Many thanks for that!

In the beginning was the logo, the colors and the font (!) - The basic concept for the design came from Frieder. Many thanks to you!
linieundkreis.de⬈