What does a Dialogue Space look like? How do you make room for Dialogue?

Dialogue needs intention and a designated space

You don’t end up in the dialogue room by chance. You go there with a purpose. We are driven by hunger. Or the curiosity to try out new dishes.

We invite people whose experience we need and from whom we want to learn. What should the menu look like? Is it just to feed everybody or will it be something special? Perhaps there is someone who can bring along an ingredient without which the cooking will not succeed.

You need energy to cook. What heat is for cooking, space is for dialogue. In dialogue, the energy comes from the participants. It’s about keeping the dialogue alive, just like you have to keep a fire – now I’m talking about fire – flickering. Everyone has to contribute in some way.

The dialogue room, like our kitchen, requires a willingness to cook and eat together. The invitation is accepted, we are ready to be part of it. But what about the details? How do we get into this kitchen? What do we bring with us? Do we only want to use the ingredients we know? How will it work with people from other cultures? Are there certain foods that we need, that are irreplaceable for us? What if they are not available?

Just like cooking, the outcome of the dialogue is open, even with a recipe. The flavour comes with the food.

How does the kitchen metaphor translate into dialogue work?

Dialogue does not come out of nowhere. The room is deliberately chosen, the participants are invited and the topic to be discussed is determined. People bring needs, experiences and skills. They discover together what picture emerges and what actions result from it. The room must be able to sustain the dialogue, even if it gets very heated.

What do we want to achieve together in dialogue? Which needs must be met? What are our recipes, old and new? Who does what? What needs to be prepared and done in advance? What do we want to cook?

Dialogue arises around a topic like around the cooker in the kitchen. Everyone observes what happens, who brings what and who contributes to the success?

Just as we remember a successful meal, we remember dialogue experiences where spaces were created to successfully meet ourselves and others.