Slovakia – like many other countries – faces growing polarisation in public discourse, in politics and often in everyday life as well. This poses serious risks to democratic institutions, social cohesion and effective governance at all levels.
We run the workshops according to the methodology of polarisation expert Bart Brandsma. Our team was trained by him personally, and Dialogue Centre is an official partner of Inside Polarisation.
Their aim is to teach participants to recognise the dynamics of polarisation, understand its mechanisms and acquire practical tools for working with it strategically. We focus on developing the skills, attitudes and values that strengthen dialogue, support social cohesion and protect the democratic environment.
The workshops are designed for professionals from diplomacy, the public sector, NGOs and politics, as well as for anyone who is or wants to be involved in building social cohesion. Participants play a key role in depolarisation and can inspire others by their example.
We organised the pilot series of workshops in cooperation with the Department of Participation and Innovation of the Banská Bystrica City Office as part of the Agents of Coexistence project, which belongs to the URBACT IV programme focused on innovation in public governance.
If you are interested in a workshop, contact us at dialog@dialoguecentre.eu.
An interview with Dutch philosopher Bart Brandsma, who analyses and works with "us vs. them" thinking. In a 40-minute conversation with our correspondent Soňa Kariková, we discussed how to reach people "in the middle" and how to effectively address polarisation and radicalisation in society.
Available as a podcast in the Podcasts section.
