Would you like to have a one-on-one conversation with someone who sees the world differently – just for one evening?
Join an international online event where you’ll talk with someone who holds different perspectives and explore “hard societal topics” together.
How does it work?
- Sign up for the event, which will take place on Zoom on May 21, from 19:00 to 21:00 (CEST, UTC+2). Use the form at the bottom of this page.
- Before the event, you will receive an email with the Zoom link.
- On Zoom, you’ll meet people with diverse viewpoints from several European countries. The working language will be English. You’ll complete a short questionnaire, and an algorithm will match you with a partner whose views differ from yours as much as possible.
- You and your partner will move into a breakout room and engage in a guided conversation, using 10 dialogue guidelines.
- After the conversation, we will all reconvene, you’ll complete a short evaluation, and leave with a meaningful experience.
We’ll explore some of the key questions shaping our society today:
- Relationships, identity and social roles
(relationships, loneliness, gender roles, questions of equality) - Technology, media and their impact on people
(AI, social media, media influence on individuals and society) - Democracy, freedoms and responsibility
(freedom of speech, regulation, radicalisation, privacy vs. security) - The future of society and the common good
(education, ethics in science, solidarity vs. capitalism)
Why this date?
The event will take place on May 21, the International Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2002 and later recognised by the United Nations General Assembly. We see diversity not as a barrier, but as an opportunity for dialogue and mutual enrichment.
What is “Hard Topics”?
The Hard Topics app was developed to help bridge the challenges of increasing social polarisation. It can be used by anyone – in youth groups, school classrooms, or among neighbours – to organise “meetups with people with opposing opinions”.
This time, it will be used for the first time in a broader, pan-European context.
Event organisers
The International Dialogue Event is supported by a growing network of organisations – the Dialogue Network – bringing together partners, individuals, and organisations committed to strengthening a culture of dialogue among young people and in society at large.
The event is organised in collaboration with:
- Florian Wenzel, Trinity Lechner, Ronja Freer – Streit/Förderer (GER)
- Barbara Grazzini – InEuropa team (ITA)
- Ekaterina Fedoruk, Anna Slabik – Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. (GER)
- Gabriela Rzepka – Kolegium Europy Wschodniej (POL)
- Vitor Gouveia, Anna Aveiro – Crescer sem risco (PT)
- Pia Ziyout, Julija Bödeker – Akademie Klausenhof (GER)
- Marija Šeme-Bonizzi – Iniciativa Angola (AUT)
- Lundrim Sadiku (RK)
- Gárdainé Oláh Anna – Kispest Waldorf School (HUN)
- Ana Vidic – British School Ljubljana (SLO)
- Christian Heitmann – (SVK)
- Matej Cepin – Socialna akademija (SLO)
- Furkan Guner – Društvo medkulturni dialog (SLO)
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