Project description DIA-FCC 2009-2012

The DIA-FCC project intented to inspire and to promote the capability of dialogical communication and behaviour – based on the theory developed by David Bohm and others – to initiate change pro-cesses. Dialogue in this sense aims at generation of greater shared understanding in a common ex-ploration. The goal of dialogue is to find common ground in appreciating people's diversity. The overall main purpose of the project was to spread more of the dialogue methodology and dialogical behaviours, skills to facilitate the creation of a new culture of communication which leads to com-mon creative thinking, new insights and creative solutions. Dialogue needs the development of core features and competences which have to be trained in groups.

During the project duration participants of different cultural background from 8 partner countries were trained who wanted to broaden their scale of activities to help people and teams with pathways to improve their knowledge and competencies to be proactive in and for necessary change processes. It opened up for participants a multi-faceted field of common and mutual learning in a multicultural group to develop facilitator skills and experience. Gender sensitive DUO work of dialogue process facilitating marked the trainings as well as the learning offers for participants. The trained participants transfer their gained experiences and skills to target groups in their countries. This learning community networked during the time of project implementation in order to establish a European pool of dialogue process facilitators. The results of the project work are an interactive website, educational material to facilitate dialogue sessions, a sample of handbook for trainees, a Final Conference in Sofia. The certified alumni formed the European Network for Dialogue Facili-tations.

The project was coordinated by the Centre for Research on Women and Gender of Leipzig Univer-sity.