Dialogue for all. Unlock your community’s dialogue skills A Manual for Trainers and Facilitators This manual has been produced by the Erasmus+ Project Dialogue in Adult Learning (KA220-ADU-98E79E78), 2022-2024. Authors: Karmen Šemrl, Bernarda Potočnik, Aleksandra Czetwertyńska, Marion Fields, Milla Holmberg, Ioannis Dontas, Giuliana Pitino, Andrea Zalabaiova Editors: Karmen Šemrl, Bernarda Potočnik, Aleksandra Czetwertyńska, Ioannis Dontas Design: Studio Graficzne Papercut, Poland Publisher: Glotta Nova, center za novo znanje, d.o.o., Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2023 Co-funded by the European Union Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 166644995 ISBN 978-961-93678-3-4 (PDF) Table of contents 4/ Introduction 6/ Let’s talk about dialogue skills for a better world 10/ Become an ambassador of dialogue 22/ Tips and tricks for unlocking dialogue skills 28/ Find out more on dialogue skills 33/ Apendix: about the project dial and the partners in the project 1. Introduction Dear readers, welcome to the world of dialogue! We are inviting you to join us on a journey of creating opportunities for more dialogue in everyday life and becoming ambassadors of dialogue for all! You are reading a manual titled Dialogue for all. Unlock your com- munity’s dialogue skills, which is primarily aimed at trainers and facilitators. This manual has been created as part of the project Dialogue in Adult Learning (DIAL). The vision of the DIAL project can be summarised as ‚dialogue for all’. This translates into making dialogue and related skills accessible to any individual or organisation that want to promote dialogue in their community. We are delighted to greet you in the circle of DIALogue ambassadors. l r al og foialD 4 1.1 Why is dialogue so important? Dialogue makes it possible that we get to know and understand each other better. It is our firm belief that dialogue is a basis for coming to an agreement and finding common solutions. On the level of everyday life this might mean that we listen to each other in order to understand the other person, instead of defending our own points of view and trying to convince others that we are right. It also means that we are open and curious about another person’s point of view and that we express what we mean in such a way that we are heard and understood. This might help us avoid misunderstandings, makes volunteer-ing with different target groups easier, relationships with our neighbours better, negotiations at work easier, parents’ meetings at school faster or talking about current affairs in society less heated. In other words, dialogue is an essential skill for increasing common understanding, preventing conflict and fostering engagement in society1. Even though a single project like our DIAL cannot alone address these topics, it is a contribution in this direction. Although at first sight it seems that we all know how to talk with one another as, after all, we have been talking since our child-hood, experience shows that we all have different levels of dialogue skills (Read more on a dialogue as a basic life skill in Section 2.2 of this manual), and even if we have good dialogue skills we still might fail in certain situations and contexts. Therefore, it is important to practise, develop and, above all, decide consciously to engage in dialogue and contribute to better cooperation, more l fruitful relationships, more connected communities and helping r al to bridge the gaps of social polarisation. og foialD 1 To read more about dialogue skills as one of the important aspects of democratic skills and 5 key factor for building inclusive communities, go to Engage, EPALE Resource Kit (2023). Dialogue makes it possible that we get to know and understand each other better. It is our firm belief that dialogue is a basis for coming to an agreement and finding common solutions. l r al og foialD 6 1.2 Who is this manual for? This manual is both for experienced trainers and facilitators as well as for those of you who are just starting your path of promoting dialogue in different situations, at work, in civic life, cultural institutions or even at home. In other words, it is aimed at ambassadors of dialogue in all walks of life. For more dialogue in your life, you can start by reading Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills, where you can find a definition of a dialogue and the basic principles and steps that can lead you to a good dialogue. If you are in a position of running a course or facilitating different kinds of events (in educational institutions, companies or NGOs) or if you work with adults who have fewer opportunities to engage in dialogue or their voice is not heard in society and you want to empower them, then this manual is for you. It can help you either encourage others to join a dialogue, organise a facilitated dialogue or deliver a training on dialogue skills. We invite you to use the materials and the reflective questions that we have included in each chapter in a way that serves your needs and the needs of your target group best. Feel free to use your own experience and boldly experiment with different ways of delivery. You are welcome to expand the network of dialogue ambassadors and share this manual also with your friends and colleagues and anybody interested in dialogue. l r al og foialD 7 2. Let’s talk about dialogue skills for a better world As an experienced trainer or facilitator, you have probably come in touch with various dialogue-related models and good practice examples, which are often designed for specific purposes or settings for dialogue, such as the classroom or an organised event. By developing the manual for everyday dialogue, our aim is to help create spaces where everyone can engage in dialogue and mutual learning, and to complement already existing ones. There are no right or wrong answers. l r al og foialD 8 2.1 What is a dialogue? In this manual we would like to define dialogue in adult learning through the definition used in the DIAL project, which reads as follows: Dialogue is a genuine exchange of our views and experiences that can generate new insights and help us see different perspectives. By listening to each other we deepen our understanding and connection with one another. After taking part in a dialogue, we might find ourselves change and grow. In a good dialogue we feel good, it creates bridges and makes cooperation easier. The main highlights of a dialogue guide developed within DIAL project that we would like to present here are the principles and the four dialogue skills. You can find a detailed description and the steps to a good dialogue in Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills. The main principles of a dialogue important to observe are the following: — Anyone can participate and share their story equally — Everyone has an open and curious mind — There are no right or wrong answers — People are respectful towards each other — Everyone has a part in creating a safe and confidential atmosphere In order to have a good dialogue it is important to use these skills: — self-reflection l — listening r al — talking og foial — suspending your reactions D 9 We believe that in certain situation all of us are already well capable of having a dialogue and at the same time we are fully aware that for a constructive dialogue in everyday situations it is important that we constantly develop our skills. And it is the mission of dialogue ambassadors to support adults to develop these skills to serve them best in different contexts, especially those who lack the confidence and the skills to participate in a dialogue and consequently, they are less involved in civic life. — What values do I project when I am in a dialogue with others? — What do I need to be really open in a conversation? — What changes in a conversation when I am really curious? In order to have a good dialogue it is important to use these skills: — self-reflection — listening — talking l r al — suspending your og foialD reactions 10 2.2 Dialogue as a life skill Dialogue is a competence that can be linked with a wide array of life skil s such as looking after one’s health and finances. Together with such basic skills as literacy, numeracy and digital skills, life skills have been proved in various studies to be beneficial in many ways: They have a link to a person’s sense of autonomy and how they perceive themselves, but also to how far they participate in society and even the labour market. As with all basic skills or life skills, the ability to engage in dialogue doesn’t fall evenly. European studies show that the more formal education a person has, the better they can manage their finances and the more satisfied they are with their lives, the more likely they are to think that listening to other opinions is beneficial. This means that they have probably had more chances to take part in dialogue. Acquiring life skills such as dialogue or interaction skills can have an empowering effect and make the individual want to learn and participate more. In the field of education this idea can be traced back to Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970, 2005). Freire linked dialogue to critical thinking, which is another key skill in the ability to engage in dialogue. That’s why it’s very important to help people gain dialogue skills and encourage especially individuals who don’t have that many opportunities to engage in dialogue. There are many ways to develop one’s dialogue skills. Dialogue skills do not come naturally for all of us. There are many things that affect our ability to interact with others from early interac-l tion with our caretakers, at school or with friends to work and r al other contexts. But it is important to note that the most impor-og foial tant skills needed for dialogue can be acquired by everyone. D 11 Let’s take a look at how we can help individuals acquire dialogue skills in adult education. Enhancing dialogue skills can be the learning goal of the training itself, or their improvement can be built in the training in other ways. The course or other training event can be about a totally different subject, but if it is built on respectful discussions, self-reflection exercises and active listening, it also enhances dialogue skills. Adult learning is characterized by a preference for self-directed learning, a tendency to be internally motivated and a focus on immediately applying new knowledge to real-life situations and problems. Adults are motivated by understanding the relevance of what they are learning. That is why it is important to identify the “why” behind the learning: why it is beneficial to learn better dialogue skills and how it may affect one’s everyday life. Learning dialogue skills in a group and being able to rehearse them through practical exercises increases inner motivation and helps apply the new skills in practice. — What are the characteristics of the learners that I work with? — How do I perceive their dialogue skills? — In what aspect would they need support in developing their dialogue skills? l r al og foialD 12 2.3 Dialogue in relation to other conversational approaches When we talk about dialogue, we might use different words such as conversation, debate, discussion, briefing, meeting, interaction, communication or simply a talk. This can be con-fusing because by naming something in a certain way we create different expectations about the outcome. Therefore, it is worth stopping for a moment and thinking about the characteristics of different conversational approaches. Unlike other approaches, dialogue is not aimed at bringing a certain result, but its main aim is to get to know each other and understand the views of others better. Dialogue can serve as a basis for further conversation as it creates an open and friendly communication environment and helps making a good habit of inclusive discussion. In dialogue, people engage in conversation with the intention of sharing perspectives and seeking mutual understanding. Even if it is unlike a debate or argument, which often focuses on proving a point or winning, some parts or techniques of dialogue, like active listening, empathy and a willingness to consider different points of view, can be very helpful in different kinds of conversations. Dialogue can be used as a catalyst for further debates, negotiations and even social dialogue, if we name a few approaches. It establishes a basis for mutual respect, active listening and exploration of ideas, paving the way for deeper understanding, l r al collaboration and the potential for collective growth. og foialD 13 On the other hand, debate and negotiation have a clear outcome: — Debate is a formal, highly structured, sometimes academic and often public discussion on a specific topic, during which argu-ments (mostly prepared before) from differing sides concerning an issue are introduced. Debate can also be an organized disci-pline, which is often competitive. It can be also used as educational method. — Negotiation is a strategic discussion between two parties to resolve an issue in a way that both find acceptable (reaching consensus or coming to an agreement). The core of efficient negotiations is a WIN – WIN result. In other words, for negotiations to make sense, the negotiators should gain more out of the negotiations than they would if the negotiation had not taken place. Negotiation can happen in different kind of situations such as landlords and tenants negotiating lease terms, parents and children negotiating household chores or privileges or in business negotiation partners negotiating the terms of cooperation. The word dialogue is also associated with the term social dialogue, which includes all types of negotiation, consultation or simply an exchange of information on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy between or among representatives of governments, employers, society. How much time do I take to get to know others and their point of view before starting a debate or a negotiation? l r al og foialD 14 2.4 The importance of safety and trust in a dialogue During the process of creating the guide Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills, we consulted various stakeholders who pointed out that in everyday life and at work safety and trust are essential in order to have a dialogue at all, with a view on psychological safety. Therefore, we would like to draw your attention to this aspect of dialogue at this point. A sense of safety is one of the keys for engaging in a dialogue so that we can feel comfortable voicing our opinions without the fear of being judged or the fear of possible negative con-sequences, such as losing our job or feeling embarrassed or humiliated because of the comments made by others. When we feel safe in a conversation, we are more willing to share our ideas, solutions, concerns even disclose ignorance with issues, rather than choose to remain silent. If we experience contact with others as safe, then we experience trust. It is important for building trust that we feel accept-ed as we are and respected as a person. On the other hand, it is important that we respect others in their beliefs and in what is important for them, as well was that we respect the environment they come from and that we perceive them as well-intentioned. Building trust is a two-way street. If we are open and honest in conversation, it is easier for others to open up as well. Trust is reflected in an open, supportive and friendly communication environment. Often the indicators that show people are at ease in conversation are humour and laughter. There is a flow in the l r al exchange of opinions and we feel ready to share. og foialD 15 One of the ways that can help us gain and develop trust in our first contact with another person is mirroring their body language, tone of voice, pace of speaking, posture and gestures. When pacing another person, we are more likely to step in their shoes and experience how they see the world, we can show that we care and as a result, we may feel more understood by them as well. However, the emotion of trust is triggered not only by the current situation, but also by our previous experiences and the situations we come from. When another person seems reserved, unwilling to talk, or even abrupt or impolite, despite our good intentions to approach them, rather than creating judgements or making our own interpretations of what they might be thinking or feeling, choose curiosity. We never know what the experience of another person is like. In short, if we follow the principles and the steps of a dialogue as described in Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills, we can create a safe environment filled with trust which is the basis for real dialogue to take place. — What do I need to feel psychological safety in a conversation? — What helps me to trust others? — How can I support others to feel psychological safety in a dialogue? — What do I contribute to building trust in my conversations with others? l r al og foialD 16 3. Become an ambassador of dialogue In line with the vision of the project, ‘dialogue for all’, our aim is primarily to promote dialogue and related skills in such a way that they are equally accessible to everyone. We would like to reach out especially to those learners who struggle with life skills or have low self-esteem. As dialogue ambassadors we encourage you not only to deliver trainings on dialogue or facilitate an event that includes dialogue, but also to promote dialogue in your work and everyday life. In any of the ways you decide to promote dialogue, take into consideration the characteristics of the target group, adapt the language and choose appropriate methods. l r al og foialD 17 3.1 More dialogue in your life Dialogue is not just a method, it can be a way of life and a phi-losophy, so we challenge you to use dialogue skills as much as possible also in your everyday life, to make a difference not just in your role of a professional but also in the communities that you are a part of in your personal life as active citizen. So that we not only talk about dialogue, but we walk the talk and we actually use dialogue skills in our everyday communication with colleagues, business partners or our family members or neighbours. Please dive into our guide Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Un- locking Your Dialogue Skills and get familiar with the principles and steps that you can take in using dialogue in your everyday communication. You can also check the activities that might be useful for you in Chapter 4 of this manual. — To what extend do I already use your dialogue skills as described in the guide? — What is my dialogue super-power? — What are my nightmare situations in a dialogue? — What can I change in my approach? — What will change if I do that? What we aspire to is that the more of us walk the talk and put dialogue to life in our everyday interactions the better relationships and the more connected communities we are going to l create. r al og foialD 18 3.2 Spreading the word about dialogue If we want to integrate dialogue in everyday communication, promoting dialogue cannot be just a one-time event. It is crucial to find ways to spread dialogue so that people see the benefits of good dialoge and are motivated to use it in their lives and everyday activities. Here are some low-threshold ideas of how to draw attention to the dialogue and encourage the use of it: — Set an example of good dialogue in all communication in your community and demonstrate your dialogue skills — Engage members in your community in short mini dialogues regularly so that they already look forward to them — Use social media in a dialogical manner and promote dialogue with posts on dialogue, dialogue principles and steps, good practice of dialogue, quotes on dialogue etc. — Set clear rules for internal forums — Write a sign in the meeting room as a reminder of the rules of communication at all meetings — Make a poster of the key points for dialogue in your context (e.g. for people who live in an elderly people’s home) — Make a bookmark with tips for dialogue for library goers — Print out a leaflet for volunteers — Print the principles of dialogue on a tablecloth to encourage dialogue over lunch or dinner at home (You can find the principles in Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills.) l r al og foialD 19 — What comes to my mind when talking about promoting dialogue skills in my everyday environment at work or in my community? — What ways of promotion can I afford according to my budget? — What are the ways of promoting dialogue aligned with my personality? Keep up the good work – it is the way to ensure longevity of the skills we learn. l r al og foialD 20 3.3 Organising a facilitated dialogue One of the possibilities that you as ambassador have to promote dialogue is to organise a facilitated dialogue on a topic that would be interesting for the target group, for example on dementia for caretakers and family members of people diag-nosed with dementia, on a book we have all read in a local library book club or on possible projects in a housing community or in a school. The event could be facilitated based on our dialogue approach, giving learners the experience of a good dialogue. Thus, they would develop their dialogue skills and consequently increase their engagement in their communities. When organising a facilitated dialogue, it is good to think in advance what topic would be good to address, what the characteristics of the target audience are, how to get them motivated to attend the event, where the event will take place, what logistics needs to be taken care of and so on. To make it easier for you we have prepared a template of the necessary aspects that are important to address for a successful facilitated dialogue. l r al og foialD 21 Need Why is it important to have this dialogue? Time and place Goal Where and when will What would you like the dialogue event take place? to achieve with it or is it just friendly chit-chat? Motivation Topic Why would people want What is the topic to attend this dialogue? for the discussion? How could you motivate them? Reaching out Target group How do you reach What are the characteristics of the target the target group? group? Who is this topic important to and why? l r al og foialD 22 We would like to invite you to have a look at the Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills guide and get familiar with the principles and steps that you can take in facilitating a dialogue. It is good to prepare in advance how you are going to communicate with the participants and what principles all of you are going to follow at the discussion. You can also check the tips of how to facilitate the dialogue, how to handle certain challenging situations and some activities that might be useful for you in Chapter 4 of this manual.2 In order to find out to what extend you have contributed to the development of dialogue skills of the participants of an event, we suggest that you collect feedback from them. One of the possibilities could be a short, online survey after the event. Or you can ask for feedback on the spot. You could ask at the end, for example, whether participants have learned something new, if they felt safe and engaged with other people, if they have been heard or whether they have been listening to others and if relevant issues were discussed. — What is a topic that I myself am passionate about? — What is a topic that would trigger the attention of my target group? — What is the topic that concerns people in my organisation/ community and would be important to talk about? — How could I as dialogue ambassador support the development of participants’ dialogue skills? l r al og foialD 2 An example of good practice of organising facilitated dialogue is Finnish Timeout project. 23 Learn more about it at: Timeout - a new way to have a constructive discussion - Sitra 3.4 Delivering a training event Delivering a course or other kind of training event is a great opportunity for a comprehensive approach to developing dialogue skills, from rais-ing awareness of the importance of dialogue to advancing the competencies that we need for participating and/or facilitating a dialogue. To make it easier for you we have prepared a template of the necessary aspects that are important to address to ensure the successful planning and delivery of a training event. The learning The need To whom Why is the training delivered? outcomes What are the target groups that What is the added value it How is the feedback gathered? benefit from the training? brings? How is the spread of new How many participants are to be knowledge insured? expected to join? Next steps Marketing The next steps of planning What channels should be used the training to market the training? The next steps of taking care of the practicalities l Funding r al Is the training free og fo Who will execute ial or is there a fee? D the training? 24 What is the knowledge they need? In the DIAL project we have prepared a training design for a 12-hour course. It consists of the following modules: — Module 1: Why dialogue — Module 2: What is a dialogue and basic dialogue skills — Module 3: How to facilitate a dialogue — Module 4: What’s next: Let’s bring more dialogue into everyday life Depending on who you want to train, you can either run all four modules (in that case you would be training new ambassadors of dialogue) or choose to run only certain modules, for example Module 1, Module 2 and parts of Module 4, including the conclusion activities to wrap up the training (in that case you would be training your target group on dialogue skills). It can be held in person or online and divided in two, three or more sessions. Note that the length of the modules is not necessarily equal. You can adapt the training design to the length of the training and desired level of the skills of the participants, according to the experience, knowledge, expectations, needs and interests of the participants. In any of the ways that you decide to deliver a training, take into consideration the characteristics of the target group, adapt the language and choose appropriate activities. Let the training be as interactive as possible and integrate the dialogue in the training itself – so that we walk the talk. Remember to add the energizers and warm-up activities of your choice, preferably ones connected to dialogue and specific aim of the module, when necessary. l r al og foialD 25 Module 1: Why dialogue Learning outcome — Presentation of the DIAL project, the DIAL training, the aims of the training, timetable, the methods of working Raising awareness — Getting to know each other and expectations of the need for of partici-pants dialogue in personal — Sharing good and bad experience with dialogue — Dialogue in comparison to other conversation life, in your organi- approaches sation and in — Benefits of a good dialogue in different contexts society as a whole (personal, organisational, societal) and, in particular, in the context of the participants — Dialogue as a life skill in adult learning As Module 1 is the start of the training, it is important to create a supportive environment for the participants to engage them in the learning process. — You might inform them about the aim, the timetable and the structure of the training in advance. They might even get familiar with the Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills guide or think of their own experience with dialogue in advance. It is still important for creating a space of trust and safety to take time for introductory activities at the training, namely for presenting the project and the training structure so that participants know what to expect. — When getting to know each other we recommend l that participants already connect their presentation r al with a dialogue, for example point out one of their og fo skills that support them in having a good dialogue ialD and one of the skills they would like to improve. Keep 26 in mind what participants have shared and refer to their strengths and desired dialogue skills later in the training. — When inviting them to share expectations, you can engage them in small group discussions so that they compare their expectations and thus, already practise having a dialogue. At the end you collect their expectations so that you are able to adjust the training accordingly. If you have collected the participants’ expectations in advance, we suggest that at this point you summarise their expectations and check what they would like to add. The second focus point of Module 1 is motivating participants for dialogue. — As we know, adults learn best when they can connect their experience and contexts with new learning. They can start by sharing a positive experience of dialogue and an unpleasant one in small groups. After group discussions, the lessons learnt from their experience can be collected and later on, we can refer to their experience at different points of training. — As the concept of dialogue might be ambiguous for the participants, it is also good to tackle the meaning and benefits of dialogue at an early stage of the training by comparing it to other conversation approaches and linking it to life skills, so that participants get a clear picture of when to use dialogue and what the purpose of developing dialogue skills is. This can already be a bridge connecting the introductory module to Module 2. For delivering Module 1, please go back to Chapter 2 of this manual and find some ideas for activities that you can use in l r al Section 4.2. og foialD 27 Module 2: What is dialogue and basic dialogue skills Learning outcome — The DIAL definition of a dialogue and its basic principles — Basic skills for a good dialogue: self-reflection, Learn the principles listening, talking, suspending your reactions and basic skills of a — Practising the first step: getting ready for a dialogue dialogue in order to — Experiencing the dialogue — Overview of the dialogue steps: getting ready for be able to partici-a dialogue, during a dialogue, finding yourself in a pate fully in a good difficult situ-ation in a dialogue dialogue The focus of Module 2 is on exploring and practising dialogue, the principles of dialogue and the basic dialogue skills. — To dive in the DIAL definition of a dialogue and basic principles, it is good to accentuate that there are different definitions of a dialogue and different models. However, the one developed in the DIAL project has in mind how to handle dialogue in certain everyday situations. Participants will bring different experience and beliefs about dialogue and they might dispute either the definition or the principles. Open a dialogue about it to share different views and point out that the definition and the principles are, from the DIAL point of view, the foundation that makes a dialogue possible at all. — As our aim is to bring dialogue especially to people l who have less developed dialogue skills or lack con-r al fidence in voicing their opinions, we have, based on og fo research, selected the skills that are crucial in a dia-ialD logue. Therefore, it would be important first to take 28 a self-reflection exercise so that participants realise how developed their dialogue skills are and think of what particular skill they would like to develop more. — Depending on the target group and its characteristics, including cultural background, you can also do some exercises for developing basic dialogue skills. You can find some ideas in the Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlock- ing Your Dialogue Skills guide. You are highly welcome to use your own experience and resources. — The best way to put all the principles and basic dialogue skills into practice is to organise a dialogue with the group on the chosen topic. At the end, let the participants reflect on how they experienced the dialogue, what worked well and what they could do differently. Provide constructive feedback related to the demonstrated basic skills and ask the participants to choose one concrete behaviour in dialogue they are going to improve by focusing on it in everyday situations. — Make sure you have some time left at the end of Module 2 for a quick overview of dialogue steps and for a discussion with the participants on how they would handle certain difficult situations and giving them some tips of how to respond. Keep in mind that for some participants these might be painful situations and therefore it will be very important to get an immediate solution. Yet, there is no magic formula and not everything is within our circle of influence. Show support, empathy and concern for participants and refer back to the principles and basic dialogue skills (In the Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills). You might also do a role play to practise difficult situations if you have enough time. l r al In case you are running a training for developing dialogue og fo skills, we suggest to expand Module 2 and do more exercises, ialD present examples of good practice and do role play to really 29 support the participants in skills development. Module 3: How to facilitate a dialogue Learning outcome — Identifying the characteristics of a target group (context and specific needs of a target group) — Competencies of a facilitator Learn how to — Sharing tips and tricks on handling challenging facilitate a dialogue situations and respond to challenging After Module 1 and Module 2, which address dialogue, its situations characteristics and its benefits, Module 3 follows with a focus on how ambassadors can facilitate a dialogue. — Introduce an activity that will enable participants (individually or in small groups if they come from the same organisation) to identify the characteristics and needs when it comes to the dialogue skills of their target group. They can additionally make a short presentation to gain some additional ideas from their peers. Be also prepared to contribute some ideas as a trainer according to the context of your participant’s target group (e.g. if a participant is a volunteer their context might be connected to migrants who lack language skills or if a participant is a teacher their context might be a parents’ meeting etc.). — Address the topic related to facilitator’s competencies based on the template in Section 3.3 of this manual and the Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills guide and allocate enough time to share tips and tricks on facilitation, especially on handling challenging situations, considering also the l specific contexts of participants. r al — As adults learn best by doing and connecting new og fo learning with their context, ask participants what ialD situations they would like to prepare for and do some 30 role-play exercises to practise them. Based on the number of participants, you can do these exercises in one big group or in several small groups. Give instructions of how to give feedback and make room for giving feedback to the peers after the role play exercise. Preferably, you as trainer provide feedback as well. It is up to you and the participants what situations you want to address. However, you can refer to Section 4.1 of this manual where certain challenging situations are described with tips on how to deal with them. Introduce an activity that will enable participants to identify the characteristics and needs when it comes to the dialogue skills of their target group. l r al og foialD 31 Module 4: What’s next: Let’s bring more dialogue in everyday life Learning outcome — Planning a facilitated dialogue — How do you know the dialogue is successful — Other ways of promoting a dialogue in different Planning how to contexts promote, deliver — Concluding the training and evaluate a di- alogue in different As ambassadors of dialogue, you are going to promote contexts dialogue in different ways. Module 4 is dedicated to planning a facilitated dialogue and identifying other ways of promoting dialogue. — You can start with the big picture of organising a facilitated dialogue and discuss with the participants what elements they should consider based on their experience. Afterwards they can use a template in Section 3.3 of this manual as a checklist and compare it with their vision of a facilitated dialogue. Pay extra attention to how ambassadors are going to engage their target group in a dialogue. — Participants proceed with preparing their own plan of a facilitated dialogue (first brainstorming ideas, then making a draft and possibly finalising a plan). It is also possible to guide participants to finish a plan on their own and present it in the next session or to send it to the trainer for feedback. — Add the activity of evaluating a facilitated dialogue to find out whether a dialogue was successful. Brain-l storm different possibilities; firstly, how you yourself r al as facilitator can know that your dialogue was suc- og fo cessful and secondly, how you can know the dialogue ialD was successful for participants (in Section 3.3 of this 32 manual you can find suggestions of how to evaluate an event). If a dialogue takes place inside an organisation or a community, you can also think about what other ways there are to monitor the improvement of dialogue culture in organisation/community as a whole. — Introduce a brainstorming activity on what other ways, apart from facilitated dialogue, there are for promoting dialogue and engaging people with less developed dialogue skills in order to make the vision ‘dialogue for all’ come true. After participants present their ideas, divide them into three groups and allocate each group one way of promotion and ask them to upgrade these ways of promotion so that they could best reach their target group (group 1: walk the talk; group 2: spread the word and engage others; group 3: organising a training to develop dialogue skills. Refer to the content from Chapter 3 of this manual. Just as the beginning, also an effective conclusion of the training is important for long-term impact. — Wrap up the training with a summary of the contents, connect topics and skills covered with the expectations of the participants and the aims of the training and invite them to express their takeaways from the training. — Devote time to create a moment of presence at the end of the training to celebrate the achievements, to feel energized by the experience and look into the future with en-thusiasm for the next steps connected with dialogue. Let the participants leave the training smiling and in a good mood. — Evaluation of the training in written form can be made either at the end of the training or afterwards online. l r al og foialD 33 — What is my personal objective in running a training on dialogue skills? — In what way should I adapt this training design to address the need of my target audience? — What parts of the training design should I put emphasis on? — What parts of the training design can I just touch briefly or leave out completely? — What can I add to the training? Add the activity of evaluating a facilitated dialogue to find out whether a dialogue was successful. l r al og foialD 34 4.Tips and tricks for unlocking dialogue skills Welcome to Chapter 4, in which we have collected a pool of ideas and exercises that you can dig in when preparing for facilitating a dialogue, delivering a training course or simply when you want to engage others in a dialogue in everyday situations like meetings, online discussions or other informal situations (discussions over a drink after a football match, debating at family gatherings, cooperation with other volunteers in the local community). 4.1 Tips and tricks for facilitating and responding in challenging situations The facilitator holds the space for the dialogue. How smoothly the dialogue will run is, therefore, to a large extend connected to how we as facilitators establish its conditions and how we l respond when challenging situations occur. They are also at the r al core of how we encourage others to engage in dialogue. og foialD 35 When having a more structured dialogue, space is particularly important as it helps us establish the conditions for a relaxed atmosphere. Prepare a safe and comfy space that is accessible for everybody (think about light, temperature and noise). Think of what would be the most comfortable setting for the dialogue: is it by the table or may-be on the couch or sitting in a circle? If the dialogue is online, could everybody have their cameras on? It is important that people are able to see each other, as it creates a connection. Try to arrange a space to make it possible. Perhaps you can also offer some water, coffee, tea, sweets or even snacks. In everyday situations make sure that you and any other participants feel safe and comfortable and can, for example, hear each other. When you encourage other people to develop their dialogue skills, ask them to consider the idea of space as well. Let’s have a look how we can facilitate a constructive dialogue: — How to open a dialogue and encourage discussion at the beginning? Not all people feel comfortable when they meet strangers or enter a situation where dialogue skills are necessary. Actually, many of us will feel some degree of discomfort or nervousness in these situations, be it in an informal situation or a more formal facilitated dialogue. To make it easier, make sure that everybody is acknowledged in the beginning. If you don’t know them, introduce yourself and invite others to introduce themselves. Make everybody feel welcome and noticed. Make contact, smile, acknowledge the people around you. Let all participants know what you want to talk about and about the structure of the meeting or dialogue. If you are delivering a training or facilitated dialogue, make sure that all the participants make contact to at least one person in addition to you from the beginning. You can do this by asking the participants to discuss some basic ice-breaking questions in pairs. — How to set dialogue guidelines at the beginning of a facilital ted dialogue (partnering with participants)? Dialogue guider al lines are important as they increase the feeling of safety and og foial participation among the participants. They are also easy to refer D to during the dialogue if needed. They are a tool to express what 36 kind of behaviour we all agree will contribute to a good dialogue. You can have them written on the poster on the wall. Go through them together with participants in the beginning of the event and invite them to add suggestions. If the time and place are right, you can build all the ground rules together with the participants. Check out example of principles in Section 2.1 of this manual. As a dialogue ambassador, remember to set a good example! — When and how to refer and return to guidelines for a dialogue set at the beginning? There are some situations when a good way of responding is referring back to the guidelines set at the beginning of dialogue, like: when several topics come up, when participants start talking at the same time or have an additional discussion while someone else is talking, when one participant interrupts another; when someone is disrespectful or insults others, to name just a few. You can say something like: “May I just say something before we continue. At the beginning we agreed that …” or we can say: “Let me remind all of us of the guidelines for our dialogue that we agreed on at the beginning that …” (point out specific principle). — How to show you have listened actively? You can think of active listening as a way to show interest and appreciation to another person. It starts with being fully present in the moment. You can show that you are listening actively by making eye-contact, giving an encouraging smile, a small nod... whatever is natural for you. Encourage those around you to do the same. Be aware of your facial expressions, and ask clarifying, open-ended questions. You can also say for example: ”That was really interesting what you have just said, thank you for sharing.” You can make small summaries and ask what other participants think about the matter. Refer to what participants have said later on in the dialogue. — When and how to summarize? There are some situations l when summarizing can be really useful for efficient dialogue, r al like: if one person is going into many details or is extremely og foial talkative, when we want to make a bridge from one topic to D 37 another, when other topics apart from the main one come up, when we have a feeling participants are a bit lost, or let’s be honest, when we are lost and need a few moment to proceed, or when there are many different opinions on something. You might summarize by saying: “Let me sum up what I heard …” or “So many different ideas, opinions and experiences (name a few that have been shared)” and connect with the next question for discussion. — What to do if we are running out of time? Managing time is an important task of a facilitator or trainer. Making a script in advance is one way to make sure there is enough time for each part of the dialogue or training. During your event make updates on time use. If it happens that you are running out of time, you can either ask participants how it would be good to use the time left (for example it there are two topics left to cover you can ask them which one they would like to focus on) or you ask their opinion if it is ok to go over time by a few minutes. Sometimes if we have further sessions, we can cover some topics we have left out later or sometimes we can simply leave them out. In any case it is important that we leave enough time for concluding activities. In everyday dialogue encourage people to say politely if they are running out of time: Looking at your watch impatiently or other gestures might make others feel uncomfortable in the situation. The same goes for facilitated dialogue. Managing time is an important task of l a facilitator or trainer. r al og foialD 38 — How to wrap up the dialogue? It is good to remember that the end of the dialogue is just as important as the start. You can slow down the tempo of the dialogue towards the end and say out loud the time that is left or say that it is time to wrap up participants’ thoughts. You may make a short summary of the themes and ask the participants to share what was important or eye-opening for them. Remember to thank everybody for joining the dialogue and sharing their thoughts. No matter how well we are prepared, we never know what situations might occur on the spot, how participants will react to the topic and how they will interact with one another or with the facilitator. Here are some situations that experienced facilitators described as challenging and shared some of the ways how to respond to keep the dialogue going: — If dialogue has moved too far away from the original subject, ask the other person if she or he could relate to the topic as agreed in the guidelines set at the beginning. Another possibility is that you partner with the group if the topic that has come up is relevant and should be discussed at present or if the group should rather stick to the main topic of the dialogue. We then proceed according to the response: either we drop the “new topic” or continue discussing it. — If a dialogue turns into a debate, take a “freeze-frame shot” to describe the situation. Note that the issue you are discussing raises emotions and ask if it touches on something that is important to other individuals. Invite them to think about the values behind their beliefs. Ask people to think together how you can acknowledge everyone’s beliefs but still stick to the principles of dialogue. Emphasize that there is no need to end the dialogue with one point of view, and that each l person can take from the dialogue what he or she wants. r al — If one person dominates a structured dialogue, thus pre-og foial venting others for participating, thank the person for sharing D 39 their thoughts and invite the others to speak up by saying, for example: “I have noticed that some of us have remained quiet, is there something you would like to add?” — If participants of a dialogue are “silent” , not really talkative or not responsive, it is good to be sensitive in the situation. We are all different in our ways of interaction. Some are naturally more silent and less responsive. You can do your own share by making people feel safe and more comfortable. You can try different techniques to involve them: start a chit chat to create a relaxing atmosphere, ask the participants to share their thoughts in pairs or small groups or to write down their thoughts for a moment. One way is also to try to awaken conversation by sharing your own thoughts and saying: ”I find myself thinking about this and this, what kind of thoughts does this raise in you?” But remember that silence is not an enemy: it may be an important moment to observe and absorb things around you and it gives us time to reflect. This is also the case in everyday dialogue: Silences aren’t a sign of hostility, even though this differs between cultures. — If participants start doing other activities like opening their laptops, checking their phones etc. and just not being mentally present, you can refer to the ground rules set at the beginning and make a joint decision to focus on the situation and not use cell phones or laptops during the dialogue. Depending on the situation of course, sometimes you can just ask in a friendly manner if they could put a phone aside for a moment and be with the group. And sometimes we can simply not respond as we never know what urgent situation has come up for a participant. In any case, it is important that we are sensitive in such a situation, that we respond in a partnering way without being patronising. — If a participant has stage fright, lacks confidence or dialogue skills, remember that we are not all as experienced or confident in expressing ourselves and our thoughts. In a group there is l often someone that takes more space and is more expressive and r al dominant. You can try to change the dynamics of the situation by og foial involving the quiet ones in the discussion. You can try different D techniques such as pair or small group discussions. Or you may 40 say, for example: ”Now we have heard thoughts and ideas from some of you. I would love to hear the thoughts of those of you who haven’t said anything yet.” And you can encourage them to join in other ways: by looking at them in a supportive way with a smile, making sure that others don’t interrupt them, referring to what they might have mentioned before, giving them enough time to think and find the words ... When they start talking, pay your full attention and give them your support by saying: “Take your time. Every opinion matters. It is important for us to hear what you would like to say.” Thank them in the end and add it was a valuable contribution as extra validation that they have expressed their opinion. — If one of the participants expresses strong emotions like starts giggling, gets angry or becomes extremely sad, perhaps even starts crying, remember strong emotions may be sometimes evoked by the subject of the dialogue or the dynamics in the group. Don’t get intimidated by them and stay calm. Strong feelings often tell us that we are talking about something that really matters to that person. Accept and validate the feelings of others, show that it is ok to have and express feelings especially if it is done in a constructive and not damaging way. The same tip can be used in everyday dialogue. Often the feelings become less strong when they find their way out and are noticed by another person. You can thank the participant for sharing his or her feelings and validate them by saying for example: ”It’s good that you have expressed your feelings about this.” You can ask the other participants what kind of feelings they are experiencing on the subject and lead the conversation to a common experience. If the feelings are very strong or even damaging to the dialogue, you can always suggest a little break. The most important thing is that the feelings in the group do not get swept under the carpet. — If one of the participants starts interpreting, judging or analys-ing what another participant has said, remember that the prereq-l uisite for a true dialogue is that people feel safe and are willing r al and able to express their thoughts and experiences even if they og foial vary strongly from the experiences of the others. Judgmental or D disrespectful behaviour is an efficient way to destroy trust in a 41 group or in personal interactions. It may be that the person who is the target of interpretation or judgment is not able to defend themselves. You can facilitate the conversation by saying: “Let’s first hear what X would really like to say about this and let’s allow space for different thoughts.” Again, we can also refer to the ground rules. If you either as a participant or a facilitator or a trainer find yourself in this kind of situation, try to be affirmative without being aggressive or accusative. Try to make your point clear calmly without trying to be right or outsmart another person and talk from your personal point of view (I think, I believe, it is my experience). Keep in mind that the participants expect the facilitator to take charge and respond in an effective way when challenging situations occur. — What are the most challenging situations for me? — What do I need to respond resourcefully in challenging situations? — What can I rely on in terms of my skills and abilities to respond effectively in challenging situations? l r al og foialD 42 4.2 Activities and exercises We have prepared a selection of exercises for those of you who are going to run a training event. They are related to different training modules and are meant as inspiration for your participants to develop dialogue skills or facilitation skills. You are very welcome to adjust them to your particular group. 4.2.1 Getting to know each other (introductory exercise) Aim: Building trust and involving participants Duration: 10 – 20 min (depending on the size of the group) Steps: 1. Ask participants to introduce themselves based on the on the questions we provide. Some of the possible questions (beside name and the organisation participants come from) are the following: — What is one of my skills that support me in having a good dialogue? What is one of the dialogue-related skills I would like to have more of? — What brings me here today? — What are my initial/topmost thoughts on the matter we are discussing today? — What is my dialogue superpower? (participants pick an adjective) l r al og fo 2. The facilitator/trainer introduces themselves first in a ialD short manner, so that participants can follow their example. 43 3. After each participant introduces themselves, invite them to stand up and mingle and meet another participant and tell them what they remember of what this particular person has told about themselves. After that they swap roles. In such manner they meet 2 more peers so that they talk to each of them one-to-one. 4. Trainer can connect this exercise with the skill of active listening and self-evaluation how well they did in this activity. 4.2.2 Silent floor (self-reflective exercise) Aim: Raising awareness of the differences between dialogue, debate and negotiations Duration: 10 min reflection individually 5-10 min discussion Steps: 1. Place 3 posters (in a form of a circle) on the floor. On the first poster the word dialogue is written, on the second debate and on the third negotia-tions. 2. In silence participants individually go from poster to poster and write or draw their associations in connection with the individual term written on the poster or in connection with what others have written or drawn on the post-ers. 3. A group discussion follows. Accept different experienc-l r al es and opinions and present the definitions of terms as og fo defined in Section 2.3 of this manual. ialD 44 4.2.3 Diagnostic test (self-reflective exercise) Aim: Raising awareness of one’s own dialogue skills Duration: 3 min reflection individually 10-12 min discussion in small groups of 3-4 5 min plenary discussion Steps: 1. Ask participants to think by themselves of one situation when they felt they had a good dialogue and one situation when they were not happy with how they them- selves acted in a dialogue. 2. After 3 minutes ask them to share in groups the 2 experiences and focus on the differences. You can provide some questions: — A situation in which I had a good dialogue: What contributed to a good dialogue? What made the dialogue safe? What exactly did I do? In what way did I communicate? To what extent did I influence the dialogue? — A situation in which I didn’t have a good dialogue: What contributed to not having a good dialogue? What destroyed the dialogue? What exactly did I do? In what way did I communicate? To what extent did I influence the dialogue? 3. A group discussion follows on their learning from the experience. The DIAL dialogue model can be presented (see Section 2. 1 of this manual and Dialogue for all. A Short l Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills.) r al og foialD 45 4.2.4 My dialogue story (self-reflective exercise) Aim: Raising awareness of and increasing one’s own dialogue skills Duration: 4 min preparation 4 min exchange Steps: 1. Individually participants prepare a card or paper and write their name in the centre. 2. In each corner of the card/paper they write the answers in one or two words to the following questions: — What makes a good dialogue? — What is a characteristic of a person I had a good dialogue with? — What is a characteristic of a person I feel uneasy to have a dialogue with? — What is my improvement point in becoming better at dialogue skills? 3. Ask participants to stand up, mingle and share their find-ings with peers. l r al og foialD 46 4.2.5 Small talk (experiential activity) Aim: Engaging participants in a dialogue for developing their dialogue skills Duration: 10 min Steps: 1. Participants form pairs or groups of 3 to 5. 2. One of the participants draws a topic from a hat and starts a talk on it with peers for about one minute. (The topics are prepared in advance either by a trainer or in a brainstorming activity together with participants). 3. After that time the other participant in the group draws a new topic and a one-minute talk starts anew. 4. The activity can take up to 5 minutes or so that each participant in a group draws one topic. 5. It is followed by a short reflection (small talk) in a pair or in a group on own dialogue skills. 6. Some more tips: it can be adjusted as an energizer, it can be a lot of fun, done quickly and in a relaxing way. l r al og foialD 47 4.2.6 Let’s DIALogue (experiential activity) Aim: Engaging participants in a dialogue for developing their dialogue skills Duration: 5 min instructions and brainstorming 15-30 min dialogue 10 min wrap up Steps: 1. Brainstorm topics for a dialogue with participants or present some of your ideas for a dialogue for participants to choose from (e.g. climate change, participation in Euro-vision, intergenerational communication and cooperation etc.). It is good the topic is such that engages the participants in a sense that it concerns them or is a focus of their attention. Ideally, in order to experience real dialogue, they hold differing opinions about the chosen topic. 2. Ask participants to form a group of up to 10 people, depending on the number of participants and choose a topic for a dialogue. 3. In each group one person volunteers to be an observer of the dialogue, who will provide constructive feedback to their peers at the end. 4. The trainer points out again that in the experience of dialogue participants follow the principles and the steps of the dialogue. 5. After a 15-30-minute-long dialogue, participants reflect l r al on how they experienced the dialogue, what worked og fo well and what they could do differently. The observer ialD provides feedback. In addition, the trainer can share their 48 observations. 6. Each participant chooses one concrete dialogue-related behaviour they are going to improve by focusing on it in everyday situations and shares it in a group. 4.2.7 Practice makes perfect (role play) Aim: Developing dialogue facilitating skills 50 min (5 rotations: 10 min per rotation) Duration: — 2 min group preparation — 5 min role play — 3 min peer discussion 5 min group wrap up Steps: 1. Participants form groups of 5. 2. One member of a group becomes the facilitator, another one becomes the observer and will give feedback to the facilitator at the end, and the other three members of a group will have a role of participants in a dialogue. 3. The facilitator of the group chooses a topic for the dialogue and a chal-lenging situation they would like to practice (Responses to some of the chal-lenging situations are described in Section 4.1 of this manual). As this is a role play including challenging situation, it is probably easier that the topic is simple so that the facilitator is well familiar with it and can focus on facili-tating and not on the contents itself (e.g. the importance of volunteer-l r al ing, the joy of travelling or reading books). og fo 4. The dialogue takes place in each group at the same time. ialD After a few minutes a challenging situation in each group 49 is initiated, the group facilita-tor responds accordingly, and the dialogue continues. It is good that the role plays are not too exaggerated. However, fun is always welcome. 5. Role play is followed by peer discussion in a group. The facilitator shares what it was like for them, and then the other members involved in a dia-logue share their experience. In the end, also the observer provides feed-back. 6. There are 5 rotations so that each group member can experience the role of a facilitator in a challenging situation. 7. In a wrap up session all participants discuss their experience with the fo-cus on the response to challenging situations and the questions that have arisen. 4.2.8 Dialogue gallery (practical creative activity) Aim: Encouraging participants to gather ideas for presenting a dialogue to their target group Duration: 10 min preparation (it can also be prepared in advance at home) 10 min presentation and wrap up Steps: 1. Ask participants to think or choose from the Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills the most important characteristic of a dialogue in their context (library, voluntary association, parents’ meeting, elderly home, social media post etc.) 2. Participants prepare a poster or a collage having in mind l the target group and therefore using appropriate lan-r al guage, style and form. og foial 3. They place their products on the wall in a form of a gallery. D 4. They visit the “gallery” and collect feedback from the peers. 50 4.2.9 Are you ready for a dialogue? (self-reflective activity) This tool can help us find out if we are prepared to have a dialogue with others and think about whether it is the right time for us or if we should perhaps postpone it to some other time. Am I ready for a dialogue? Am I willing to take the time to Yes listen to others? No Ask yourself, what Am I ready not Ask yourself, what No your priorities are your priorities are to convince others and how you can and how you can in my point? focus on them? focus on them? Yes Different ideas and perspectives are Do I get easily upset No always a tool for when someone has personal enrich- different views? ment. Do I know Yes how to deal with the behaviour of other Take a deep breath that I find and pause for a minute, annoying? No focus on the content and not the way of your speaking. Am I physically Yes and mentally ready No (not hungry, thirsty or tired, feeling well and curious)? Yes Can I quickly remedy this? l r al og fo Take care of yourself Hurray! I’m ial No and revisit the idea Yes D ready for of having a dialogue a dialogue 51 later. now. — What ice-breakers can I use to create a safe and relaxed environment? — How could I adapt the activities suggested in this section for online course? — What fun activities can add to make dialogue a positive experience? l r al og foialD 52 5. Find out more on dialogue skills Recommended reading Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills. Erasmus+ Project Dialogue in Adult Learning. 2023. Dialogue contexts. Activities and tips. Erasmus+ Project Dialogue in Adult Learning. 2023. Timeout - a new way to have a constructive discussion – Sitra: https://www.sitra.fi/en/timeout/ Bohm, David (2004). On Dialogue. New York: Routledge. Other resources used in this manual Engage. EPALE Resource Kit (2023): https://epale.ec.europa.eu/ system/files/2023-07/EPALE_ResourceKit_Engage_0.pdf l r al Fisher, Roger; Ury, William; Patton, Bruce (2011). Getting to Yes: og foial Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (3rd ed.). New York: D Penguin Books. 53 European Association for the Education of Adults (2018). Life skills approach in Europe: https://eaea.org/project/life-skills-for-europe- lse/?pid=10220 European Commission (2021) values and identities of European People. Eurobarometer 508 special report: https://publications.jrc.ec.eu- ropa.eu/repository/handle/JRC126943 Freire, Paolo (1970, 2005) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc.: https://envs.ucsc. edu/internships/internship-readings/freire-pedagogy-of-the-op- pressed.pdf Bubber, Martin (1937). I and Thou. ICF Core Competencies (2019): https://coachingfederation.org/app/uploads/2021/07/Updat- ed-ICF-Core-Competencies_English_Brand-Updated.pdf Silent floor exercise. Adapted from the project »Predelati ali pozabiti? Delo z mladimi na področju dialoga, odpuščanja in sprave« website (Socialna akademija) (2016): https://socialna-akademija.si/prede- lati/4-pogled-mladih-na-konflikte-dialog-in-odpuscanje/ Diagnostic test activity. Adapted from Energy for Leadership, training materials, by Tatjana Dragovič, Glotta Nova (2020). Hargie, Owen (2021). Skilled Interpersonal Communication: research, theory and practise. (7th ed.) l r al og foialD 54 6. Appendix: About the DIAL project and the partners in the project The Erasmus+ project Dialogue in Adult Learning (DIAL) focuses on dialogue skills among adults. It views dialogue skills as a vital life skill for democratic participation for all, also and in particular for groups underrepresented in adult learning and democratic activity. These groups have less access to situations where they could acquire and use their dialogue skills. The lack of opportunities and capacities for dialogue are both a cause and a symptom of the polarisation European societies are undergoing at the moment. By linking dialogue with other adult basic skills (e.g. media literacy), the project ensures that l everyone has the opportunity to learn vital skills and engage in r al dialogue. Increased engagement and access to dialogue have og fo ultimately positive outcomes for democratic participation and ialD preventing conflict. 55 We are aware that a single project cannot alone address these topics. Yet, through high-quality outputs and active dissemination, we believe it can play a part in doing so. The DIAL project’s solution is a new dialogue guide for adult learners, which any individual or organisation can use. The vision of the DIAL project can be summarised as ‘dialogue for all’. Overall, the DIAL project implements the following products and activities: — design of a research-based publication Dialogue for all. A Short Guide to Unlocking Your Dialogue Skills to introduce dialogue and its adaptation in everyday life — training design and training manual Dialogue for all. Unlock your community’s dialogue skills — pilot training courses for adult educators and others who promote dialogue — low-threshold dialogue activities among learners to engage them and help them acquire new skills — mutual learning activities for trainers, other stakeholders, and partners (webinars for trainers, co-workers and other interested stakeholders) The dialogue guide and training manual are available in 6 languages, namely in Finnish, Polish, Slovenian, Italian, Greek and English and can be downloaded for your use at the following link: https://eurolo- caldevelopment.org/dial-2/ To ensure the high quality of the outputs of the project, an advisory group of experts was established. They have monitored the quality and impact of the activities and outputs and advised the project team. l Dear Anne Ilvonen, Mirella Ntai , Ludovica Capozzi, Maria Drabczyk r al and Tatjana Dragovič, thank you for your contribution and support. og foialD 56 Through its outputs the project aims to reach the following results: — An increasing number of Europeans have the skills and opportunities to engage in dialogue, and consequently have a greater sense of engagement — Trainers, coordinators and other individuals working in educational institutions have the tools and an increased ability to engage people in dialogue in a variety of settings. — Dialogue skills are better understood as a basic life skill, especially as comes to adult learners. — In each phase of the project we collected feedback from users and trainers as well as from the advisory group and other interested stakeholders, and integrated it into the project’s products and activities. It has been a co-created work in progress which is still growing. Thank you all for helping us spread the dialogue and making this world a better place. Partners co-creating the DIAL project: — Sivis Study Centre – is a Finnish adult education provider. Main-tained by an association called Opintotoiminnan Keskusliitto, the Sivis Study Centre promotes non-formal adult education in the voluntary sector. We provide almost 100,000 hours of education annually in co-operation with our 80 member NGOs. We also support adult learning by providing training for trainers and through our publications. Our member organisations represent the fields of health, education and culture, citizens’ advice, the environment and other specific areas of activity. Contact: toimis- to@ok-sivis.fi — Centrum Cyfrowe is a Polish NGO that supports openness and engagement in the digital world. Together with experts and l r al practitioners open to change, we create space for new ideas, skills og fo and tools development. We strive to ensure that social interest ialD is always in the first place in the relationship between humans 57 and technology. We work in the fields of culture and education to support policymaking and practice. Contact: kontakt@centrum- cyfrowe.pl — European Institute for Local Development – is a Greek NGO. Our mission is to provide innovative tools for the sustainability of regions by promoting experience sharing between its members and partners for sustaining international cooperation, skillful networking and further progress and growth. Especially, during the big financial and social crisis, we strive to provide direct solutions to European needs. We continually develop our activities to become a dominant social player on the national and European level. Contact: info@eurolocaldevelopment.org — Cooperazione Paesi Emergenti - The Italian NGO. CO.P.E. is de-voted to the development cooperation and international voluntary service. It was founded in 1983 and it is a non-profit-making association. CO.P.E. has been officially recognized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as International Cooperation Actor (NGO) since 1987 and officially recognized by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation since 2016. We manage developing cooperation projects on bottom-up governance and human rights, child protection and women’s empowerment, education and vocational Education and Training, health, disease and disa-bilities prevention, agriculture and food security. Contact: cope@ cope.it — Glotta Nova, Centre for new knowledge: Glotta Nova is a Slovenian adult education centre specialised in soft skills, leadership training and coaching. We serve organisations and individuals in the private and public sector to achieve wide-ranging competences (communication, teamwork and cooperation, public speaking, training the trainer, mentoring, leadership and coaching), which are reflected in their professional and personal growth. Contact: info@glottanova.si l r al og foialD 58